I can't help but wonder how thousands of Malaysians (if it is at all true) can converge o­n a stadium and protest the so-called 'injustice' of war in Iraq, and not converge in even larger numbers, and with a much louder voice, to protest against this grave injustice in our own backyard?

But we ought to do something. If we are indeed the sort of people who care enough about people thousands of miles away with a history that few of us really understood, then the very least we should do with the injustice here is to express our disgust during the next general election. Because such is the depth that this nation has descended to, that the most effective way to pull it up again is to ensure that we set into motion the steps towards a genuine balance of power between opposing parties.

Let us not fool ourselves. The core of the issue is not about judges or lawyers, police or politicians. It is about us, the people. Surely the responsibility for this nation is ours? Our responsibility is to ensure that the system does not encourage the entrenchment and abuse of power. Surely the best way to do that is to break the monopoly o­n power before it is too late.

And in the event that we manage to do that, we would have achieved something we ought to be very proud of. And if we are not happy with the new government, we shall have to vote them out the next time around.

This is how the system is designed to work. It makes them compete for our vote, and true competition improves service. It works in business, it shall work for politics as well. But it needs to be done the first time, before it can work the second time, and so o­n.

In some countries, it takes a century before people understand the mechanics of it all. But if we really care for the country, and for our children and their children, surely we ought to do something now?

It is our responsibility. If we do not fulfill our responsibility, if we do not stop this inevitable movement towards oppressive dictatorship, then perhaps o­ne day, thousands of miles away, a group of people will be protesting against an invading force landing o­n our shores to eliminate a dictator that we ourselves fail to remove. What do we say then?