COMMENT | On television three nights ago, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail appeared pensive, emphasising that current leaders were graduates of the “street school” (sekolah jalanan), referring to the time when they were involved in street protests against the government.

Dispelling the notion that there has been a change since taking power, he rolled out police statistics - only two to three percent of assemblies faced issues because the venue owners did not grant permission, not because of government-imposed restrictions.