COMMENT | From 1955 to 2018, the ruling coalition won every general election for the federal legislature.

In 2018, after a decade of “awakening” of civil society, after many shocking revelations about electoral practices, and after much use of archaic colonial police powers by the government, the opposition coalition came into office.

Civil society had been awakened by NGOs active in the movement for democracy under Bersih. They operated principally in the arena of human rights. They advocated for the marginalised, for those discriminated against because of their education, ethnicity, gender, and so on.

Before GE14, many “opposition” politicians frequently joined gatherings organised by NGOs. They were arrested together with other participants. Some were charged with offences defined in archaic, colonial laws. Mainly, they were held in lockups for one to three nights supposedly for investigation. Actually, they were being jailed as punishment.

Police power to detain without trial was the government’s weapon of choice to gag citizens and stifle dissent. It is a well-entrenched practice. It continues to be so.