At a recent Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) gathering, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad called on the younger generation to emulate "the struggle of our forefathers ( nenek moyang ) against colonialists".

The paternal nenek moyang of Mahathir fought against British rule by demonstrating and holding peaceful marches at such places as ChauriChaura, Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi and Madras. When a peaceful march was held at Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar three years before the birth of Mahathir, the cousins and relatives of Mahathir were mowed down by a hail of machine gun and rifle bullets.

In acting peacefully against the injustices of British rule, the ancestors of Mahathir were cruelly put down and were either killed or jailed. But they did not lose their spirit and in fact, they rose again and again until the British packed their bags and left.

Now, Malaysians living under Mahathir's heavy-handed rule are facing injuries and jailings for acting as peacefully and as democratically as the Indians in India did under British rule. For Mahathir to call on the youths of this nation to emulate their nenek moyang is indeed a bit rich.

After all, Mohd Ezam Mohamad Nor, Raja Petra Kamarudin, Diong and other Barisan Alternatif leaders were merely emulating Mahathir's forefathers when they were detained and brought before the courts.

Democracy can be exercised through ballot boxes or peaceful demonstrations. In fact, in a democracy there are many channels to express one's opinions. The government should not dictate which channels are halal and which ones are haram . As long as they are peaceful, orderly and in keeping with the spirit of the Federal Constitution that allow freedoms of speech, assembly and association, then they should be a legitimate avenue for democratic expression.

It is unacceptable for Mahathir to practice a different rule to that which he preaches. Regardless of his position as prime minister or president of Umno, in any country of the world such an attitude would be termed hypocrisy.