We cannot live in fear indefinitely.

There are many things wrong in the world but when those running this country parade to us everything that can go wrong, may go wrong or can, in some shape or form, become wrong in order to induce fear in us - our lives are being compromised. There is no armed insurrection in Malaysia. There are no bogeymen organising rallies that result in fire and carnage. Lawyers are not thinking of how to end the rule of law. Our people are not walking around with hate in their hearts.

In times of uncertainty, people tend to hold on to what is familiar. Being the most familiar of Malaysian institutions, it is in the interest of the Umno-ruled Barisan Nasional to present uncertainties. Playing up fear in order to sustain power is a dangerous game. In a world of Internet and Molotov cocktails, it is downright irresponsible. No nation will have homogeneity in politics. It is natural for people to disagree. Experience instructs people on how to allow civil disagreement. Let us sit back and look at what is really on our national plate.

A group of people are convinced this country’s election process is dubious . They write a memorandum and proceed to present it to their sovereign head. They ask their supporters to join them for this event. Their supporters duly arrive. They group and are ready to do the deed. So far, any discerning foreigner would understand the proceedings. What happened next, only Malaysians can understand. It has something to do with our unique democracy.

The police quell part of the gathering brutally. This goes with systematic police intimidation across the Klang Valley as evident in the roadblocks on days leading up to the fateful day. Thousands of people were hurt because of unrestrained policemen. More were stranded on roads caused by police roadblocks. However, in a presentation of logic only a Malaysian would understand, the prime minister, cabinet and police blamed the citizens for participating in this democratic exercise.

Senses are lulled by the wanton show of power . Two weeks later, a group of people rousing up support for the past months gathers to present a memorandum , this time to the British. The British don’t complain. That does not matter. The Malaysian government knows better than every other government in the world put together. So it beats down democratic expression.

Same end, same story, with some twists. There is contention. It is not Umno alone who are unhappy with the language and methods of the Hindraf lads. Fine. But the litmus test has to be demonstrable harm. They have neither asked for nor prepared their supporters for violence. Their Sunday gathering on the streets of Kuala Lumpur showed a great level of restraint from their supporters. So what gives? Lawyers gather for a celebration of human rights. They insist on being peaceful. No go. Arrests ensued . Charges made. Lawyers made to live it up in holding cells.

The mainstream media and government prosecutors seemed to be in a musical culminating in a climax. In hindsight, the ISA arrests were inevitable. But the question remains, Why oh why? Surely as the people with the guns, jail cells and parliamentary majority, they have to show demonstrable harm. If not, all they are doing is speculating and you don’t run your country based on speculation. You most definitely do not take men away from their families and loved ones on the basis of speculation.

It is becoming disconcertingly clear that the idea of democracy to Umno is of one without choices, participation and different ideas. In their feudal system, elections are dangerous but anointments are better. Najib will replace Abdullah when the latter chooses. And a vice-president will be made deputy president through the good grace of the president. They have their own set of law of man, similar to Asimov’s law of robotics.

Everything the president says is true. Everything the deputy president says is true too, unless they are discordant to the president’s views. All things said by the vice-president is true too, unless they are discordant to the president and deputy president’s views. This flows down until you are at the bottom of the bottom - at branch level - where they put up makeshift operational structures wherever they like. And in organic form, the master-serf relationship is established in the civil service, police force, military and schools. Right is based on who says it. Wrong too.

So when exploitation is mentioned by those outside Umno’s BN, they are merely lies, fabrications, exaggerations, incomplete ideas, products of frustration and filled with negatives. When exploitation of a similar kind is mentioned by Umno leaders, then they are truths, diligent facts, logical extrapolation of errors, verifiable concepts, products of complete altruism and filled with positives only.

So that is the score. A huge Orwellian spin factory pinning dissent down for the good of the many. But the many should not have a say in this because the country is too big to rely on the simple people to decide. Let a party with 60 years of pedigree decide for you. Those from Bersih, Hindraf, the marching lawyers and the burger seller in Selayang are all fresh meat for the Umno grinder. Millions in this country are told, retold and forced to know that there is no reality without Umno.

Serfdom is such a drag.