When the government launched Proton in 1985, import duties on completely-built-up (CBU) cars were jacked up, and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told us then:

"Well, we have to protect the nascent locally assembled car industry. There're lots of spin-off effects which will be good for everybody. So if you still like to get an imported car, then you'll just have to pay more, I'm afraid."

Never mind that there were already a few car assemblers around — they were in private hands — and there were no useful links between them and the dominant political party. Malaysians had to undergo all the expense of reinventing the wheel, because it always makes for political security and stability to have bumiputra engaged in the economy everywhere. Fair enough.

Now that WTO and Afta are breaking down protectionist barriers to free trade everywhere, Mahathir says:

"Local taxes are going to be imposed on all cars to replace the loss of revenues from import tariffs so sorry-lah! The price of cars is not going to come down."

Next, will he blandly asserts the money is needed to "finance development and pay government servants' salaries"?

Shouldn't he be looking into greater efficiency in the public services rather than providing easygoing employment for large numbers of potential voters? He should be well aware by now that these government servants may well vote his party out as there are alternative channels for the bumiputra electorate.

Previously International Trade and Industries Minister Rafidah Aziz has also said that "just like Singapore, you know, we have to find other ways to recover the loss of import tariffs".

Please! Singapore is a tiny island with a well-designed mass transit system and an advanced electronic traffic management system. They have no alternative but to tighten control of car ownership. But they provided excellent alternatives to private car transport.

In Malaysia, we certainly have plenty of room, except in the larger urban areas, for the growth of vehicular traffic in suburban areas and on intercity and interstate routes. Cars are a necessity and the second largest family expenditure after housing.

How can Malaysian motorists get together to deal a devastating blow, peacefully of course, to the current government through the ballot box when the next national elections rolls around?

In the words of the passengers of Flight 93 on that fateful day on Sept 11, "Let's roll!"

Every time your car rolls away down the driveway towards your destination, let's imagine, just for one moment, that we're helping to roll back the Barisan National's 45-year stranglehold on political control.

So that they'll be just a little less arrogant, a bit more careful with our money. Let's roll!