In one of today’s vernacular newspapers, the news is all about ‘Seksualiti Merdeka!’

This is strange as the entire country seems to be energised to address what to me is a non-issue, and more so after the police came out as expected and banned the event.

The opening salvos started with the call to curb human rights by a disgraced ex-police chief, Abdul Rahim Noor, followed by the former Malaysian dictator.

It is clear that a culture of fear is being manufactured out of nothing to create insecurity among the people every time there is a call for an intellectual discourse.

But no, that is not enough, we must have a million to demonstrate and one wonders why suddenly this siege mentality - this herd mentality - these hyped-up provocation as if Malaysia is under threat because a small pocket of insignificant individuals come together every year to celebrate their individuality in events like Seksualiti Merdeka.

But we do not see in ‘righteous and religious’ Malaysia the same energy, concentration, police reports, demonstrations, the effigy burning, the media-bashing and wild allegations, the trial by media when it comes to corruption after the annual revelations in the Auditor-General’s Report!

To be honest - other people’s sexual choices are the least of my concerns when billions of our taxpayers’ money are being squandered and pocketed by cronies of present and past regimes.

But as a practicing Christian, I think it is important to distinguish between homosexuality and sodomy.

It is fair to say that not all sodomites are homosexuals and not all homosexuals are sodomites.

Sodomy is illegal based on our Penal Code which was formulated during the colonial era.

Strange that even in a multi-dimensional and multi-racial India, which is a conservative country, its people have already had better sense to repeal this outdated and repressive piece of legislation.

The truth is - it is a ridiculous law as even oral sex between heterosexuals is illegal, thus criminalising the majority of the sexually active population of Malaysia.

Some strange sense of religiosity, morality, values and direction!

It is obvious now not only for the peace-loving majority of Malaysians awaiting for the next general election, but also to voters among the various minority communities who have been repeatedly bashed in the media to further the political gains of political predators and desperadoes to register their disgust at election time.

The Malaysian leadership seem to forget in its obsession to maintain the political status quo that this culture of vilification is disgusting and tiresome.

The result will be not a Global Malaysian but a Malaysia in the backwater as long as politicking takes precedence over real issues.

The present ongoing and fuelled discourse is an embarrassment to every Malaysian.

The truth is that the participants in their rhetoric forget that they are, as far as I am concerned, so intellectually challenged they do not see how totally preposterous are the things they are saying!

Manufacturing a crisis at each and every corner is not a silver bullet for political dominance and continued political hypocrisy, certainly not moderation by any definition.

DR JACOB GEORGE is president, Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa).