The events of the past few weeks have deeply questioned my faith in the integrity of our government system.

I have always held it to be true that if it were not for the rampant corruption among our government officials, it would be Malaysia, not Vietnam, that would be the fastest-growing economy in East Asia behind China.

While I do acknowledge other readers' calls for the need to investigate both sides of all these claims, I find it utterly absurd that a sodomy charge has been brought up against Anwar Ibrahim again.

Many have elaborated on this, so I will not talk about the finer point further. There is obviously more to this entire liwat issue than meets the eye, and I would not be surprised if Saiful is also a victim of a conspiracy rather than a willing participant.

You'd think that someone could get a bit more creative if he/she were trying to implicate someone, especially if the victim can easily physically overpower his so-called assailant.

My first point is about the how far the government seems to be going to stay on in power. My fear now goes beyond merely Barison Nasional staying in power for another term.

Especially if these conspiracies are true, the extent to which BN is now going to stay in power makes clear how much further they are really willing to go.

At least the Singaporean government has always used ‘soft authoritarianism’ in the name of political and social stability without corruption, but what is the current Malaysian government using such means for?

To undermine the outcome of the election - the main tool that the people have to keep their government in check - just so they can stay in power and stay rich?

I have always considered Malaysia a prime example of political stability in the wider Asian and African regions, but now, with a government seeking to undermine the democracy that has helped this country to succeed, we may yet reverse the 51 years of progress that we have made.

We will become a footnote on the international nightly news about yet another developing country that has fallen prey to corruption and anti-democractic movements.

I already see the early comparisons being made between our government and those of Thailand, China, and Burma, just because we are in the same region (despite the vastly different degree of political corruption) and because we are now becoming 'one of those countries'.

My second point is a criticism of us as a people. The only thing that baffles me more now than the government's current actions is the willingness of so many of the masses to again so readily believe these sodomy charges.

By acquiescing, we are giving undue amounts of power to the originators of these sodomy charges, whether they be government or someone else. Yes, it makes me very proud to finally see so many rallying together in order to give much needed credibility to the opposition, whoever the opposition may be.

Yes, the charges against Anwar may not have been disproved as yet, but no, our public should have learnt from the last sodomy embarrassment to not accept the prima facie evidence so readily, especially when it is the exact same charge against the exact same person for the exact same reasons (when he was seemingly on the cusp of assuming power in the government).

And so my final point is that we as Malaysians must exercise the only power we have left - our free will.

We must continue to call for transparency on both sides of every issue that may come up. We must let the government know that our people will not pacified so quickly.

But we must do so in the proper way - no ransacking, no recklessness, no riots.

If international figures are of any influence in Malaysia any more, we can always follow the philosophies of Gandhi and Martin Luther King - peaceful resistance.

If we are to demonstrate, it should be passive, non-violent, and in overwhelming numbers.

This is the way to be heard, for the sake of maintaining our country's integrity in the international arena while still being able to effect change and protect the safety of all.