I appeal to Dr Mahathir Mohamad to bring about the changes proposed in the 10-point memorandum on human rights which was handed to Suhakam on April 14 by Keadilan President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The points are worthy of support by the government and every Malaysian. The memo should not be seen as a political ploy but a patriotic plea. If implemented the proposals will make the country a better nation and remove the people's longstanding and growing dissatisfaction with unwanted and unjust laws. To retain the Internal Security Act (ISA) and its restrictive companion laws is to endanger the freedom of all Malaysians ad infinitum .

Suhakam's receipt of the memo and appeal for the immediate release of the seven arrested activists are commendable. Criticism of its stand by Mahathir's minister, Dr Rais Yatim, is unfair. It shows a lack of understanding of Suhakam's role and a disregard of the people's growing call for the abolition of the laws of oppression. It is gratifying to note five top members of the Gerakan Penang branch have also called for the review of the ISA, with some even calling for the release of the unjustly arrested.

If allowed a conscience vote, I know many in government will agree with the 10 points in the memo. It was Umno and MCA which helped the country achieve independence in 1957. It would be inconsistent of them not to support calls for greater freedoms. The government has allowed Suhakam to exist. It must back good intentions with good deeds. Our emancipation would not be complete and to borrow from Aung San Su Kyi, we would have to fight for 'a second independence' if citizens are denied basic political liberties and civil rights.

What is fundamentally at stake are the rights of individuals when they face powers of the state. Will the law be sufficient to protect them? Will they get justice? These, among others, are questions that trouble ordinary Malaysians.

Some feel the playing field is not level. They have seen how a former deputy prime minister can be so badly treated and publicly humiliated and are justifiably worried. By seeking the removal of the ISA and unjust practices they feel Malaysians stand a fairer chance of getting justice. But their best guarantee is leaders who will honour their human rights and not corrupt the system.

I appeal for the immediate release of the arrested seven. I am concerned that innocent citizens can be whisked away like hapless kidnap victims and be kept incommunicado like hostages, with worried relatives and friends unable to see them and unaware of their whereabouts. No Malaysian deserves such unkind treatment from its government. We are not a nation at war and our citizens are not our enemy. The large number of people who gathered peacefully to support the handing of the memo to Suhakam is proof there was no plot for violence and whoever advised the government of such a plan was wrong.

I commend the police and the crowd for their excellent behaviour. It is further proof Malaysians, even if they are dissenters, are not predisposed to violent behaviour and pose no threat to public order. The violent overthrow of a government has not and will not happen in Malaysia. It is illogical and far-fetched to imagine those who call for justice and democracy will try to win power by unjust and violent means. DAP leader, Lim Kit Siang who expressed his concern that police allegations are not "a fairy tale" makes a valid point.

I and all peace-loving Malaysians denounce all forms of violence.

In a different era, the ISA may have served our national interest. Today, it has become like a mad man who sometimes runs amok and wreaks havoc in the lives of innocent Malaysians because it is old, bored and has no real purpose in life. Instead of securing our national safety and protecting the people, the ISA and similar archaic and purposeless laws have behaved like bullies and turned on the people they are meant to protect. They serve their masters willingly because they have no other use. Thus, they have become an embarrassment and liability to the nation. They are a stench in our society.

Many of us are concerned for the families of those arrested. They must be feeling terribly sad and worried for the safety of their loved ones. I trust while the said seven remain captive, they will be treated with respect and humaneness and will not be subjected to any form of physical, emotional and mental torture. Our fears are not unfounded because we have seen what happened to Anwar Ibrahim while in detention and read some testimonies of former ISA detainees who claimed they were tortured, beaten and humiliated ([#1] Licence to abuse [/#], April 14; [#2] Total recall of torture [/#], April 13). It is unthinkable that Malaysians condone such cruel behaviour. Mahathir must feel responsible for and ensure their safety.

I plead with Mahathir to consider a most important point: To reconcile with his former protege, Anwar and release him. We all know it was his feud with Anwar that started the political turmoil in the country. I make this appeal because many are concerned for Anwar's health. It is a humanitarian concern.

But we also remember our sacrosanct Malaysian motto: Unity is strength. As long as Anwar is in prison, there will be disunity. It is naive of anyone to think the aggrieved supporters of Anwar will sheepishly fade away or Mahathir will step down because of political pressure from the opposition. Foreigners have downgraded the country as a safe place to invest and it must concern all Malaysians and the local business community. Our loss is other peoples' gain.

We need to find a win-win formula. We need to get back on track and do what we should do - nation-building. We have seen so often in politics that friends become enemies and enemies become friends. Nothing is too hard in politics. With Mahathir involved, nothing is impossible. It does not matter who wins most as long as we all win. And truth and justice prevail.

If reconciliation seems far-fetched, though we don't see it as something impossible, we appeal to Mahathir not to take drastic measures that will tarnish the country's international image. He has threatened to disregard international norms. Whatever he means, his words have put the country under an intimidating, dark cloud.

Mahathir has ruled long, and done much for the country. It will be a sad day if he leaves behind a legacy of a dispirited and disunited nation and a negative international image of the country for a future generation who already find life hard in an increasingly competitive world. Malaysia needs foreign investments and overseas markets. It is not wise for a small country to offend other countries and make enemies.

I urge Mahathir to listen to the voices of reason.We appeal to him with deference, as Asians would to someone who is their elder. Perhaps, Mahathir may find somewhere in his Asian Values or in his heart, a reason to reciprocate and respect some of the wishes of the people.

We do not belong to any political party. We do not hold any vested interest in the outcome of politics in the country. We do not have any selfish ambitions. We speak the truth and what is good for the country. We are ordinary Malaysians.

Though I make my pleas from across the seas, my concerns are no less sincere or altruistic as those of many Malaysians in the country making similar calls. Distance has not diminished my love and genuine concern for Malaysia. Internet technology has removed the tyranny of physical separation and brought me nearer to home, if not in body, at least in spirit. Wherever we are, we continue to promote Malaysia because it is a unique country worthy of support and because we care.

We, who consider ourselves patriots and peacemakers, should call on all Malaysians to forsake injustice and honour truth, justice and righteousness for 'righteousness exalts a nation.' We believe people are more important than politics, economic policies or material prosperity.

In times of economic hardship, the first to suffer are the poor. We ask that more be done to help the genuine poor in Chinese, Malay, Indian and indigenous villages and also the urban poor. While many of us have prospered, many of them still try to eke out an existence in deplorable living conditions. We make a special plea for the poor Indian squatters. We also remember Malaysia's guest foreign unskilled workers whose welfare is often overlooked because they are poor, without constitutional protection and insignificant. Yet, without them, economic progress would be restricted.

We will make our point again when the time comes through the ballot box, as Mahathir advises. We need not have to rely on uncivilised methods before then. The solution to illegal demonstrations which seem to irk Mahathir, is to legalise opposition meetings which citizens must have a constitutional right to organise. Voters will then be able to judge wisely after they have heard both sides of the political arguments. To shy from open debate is to allow prejudices and ignorance to fester. When we deny the people the right to assemble peacefully and to listen to alternative views or to disagree we deny our own Constitution and what our forefathers have fought for - freedom.

I am concerned the middle ground has disappeared in Malaysian politics and people are either seen as pro- or anti-government. This does not augur well for a young nation with limited resources that needs to harness all its talents for the national good. Polarisation will only lead to victimisation and further alienation from one another and vice versa. Citizens who criticise Mahathir are not necessarily unpatriotic if what they say is fair comment and constructive. After all, Mahathir regularly criticises various Malaysians and the West.

Reformasi should not be seen as a purely political initiative of the opposition but an outcome of a perceived need for self-examination and renewal. Not all Malaysians support the opposition's ideas or the government's policies but most fair-minded Malaysians would support their rights to put their case across to the people.

Malaysians do not generally quibble over political ideologies, save the race-based demands of Umno and the religion-based policies of PAS, because the nature of coalition politics has made public debate redundant.

We think, nevertheless, many Malaysians are concerned about broader principles of good governance. There is something in the human heart that cries out for truth and justice to vindicate them when oppressed. Reformasi, in another sense, should be seen as a call to every Malaysian to discard old bad habits, old useless laws, old prejudices and to pursue the incorruptible way. Without truth and justice, there can be no better way.

I pray for Mahathir that God may grant him wisdom to govern justly and for Anwar that God may give him the grace to patiently bear his pain while in prison temporarily.

And we remember the families of and all those who are in prison, those captives of conscience, and hope they will be set free soon.

We can write the pages of our history in the future with tears of joy and tales of triumph, or with tears of sorrow and tales of defeat. Each of us has a part to play. At the moment, Mahathir holds centre stage.

As Mahathir has disclosed he will not stand for office in 2004, time is running out for him to write his place in Malaysian history as a great liberator, a caring leader and a great man of rare magnanimity. History has already recorded his other deeds. If he does not care, we do. We should let our twin towers, the tallest buildings in the world, stand proudly as triumphant symbols of our country's upholding of truth and justice, and not as modern-day versions of the ancient Tower of Babel which God destroyed because it represented the people's pride and debauchery.

I appeal to Mahathir and the government to share my concerns and make this new year of the new Millennium the turning point in our history. As we like to say, Malaysia Boleh! . We look to Mahathir and his government for moral leadership and example. Or we will look elsewhere.

God bless Malaysia.