With all the debates going on about Malaysia becoming an Islamic state, one should stop to think if we are still a secular state.

Something is obviously wrong with Malaysia, when a co-worker fears having a link to malaysiakini on our shared website. He feared it because he did not want to get into any trouble over 'political issues'. My co-workers tell it straight to me that they are scared to sit with me at lunch because I sometimes wear a Keadilan T- shirt. They fear that they would get unwarranted attention from the police and that they would get into trouble.

They caution me that I will get myself arrested over the shirt and my views which are often critical of the government policies such as bailouts and the use of ISA. A friend sharing a bus ride with me also cautions me to keep my voice down when I talk about these issues so that I will not get into trouble, in case Big Brother hears my views.

Is this what the Malaysian government visualises as a peaceful society? Do they want a society covering in fear, scared to criticise, scared to be linked in any way to any organisation or view that is not 'official'?

It sure seems like the beginnings of a fascist state. We now have Mahathirism, Mahathirnomics, the suggestions of parents singing Umno lullabies to our children and teaching the struggles of Umno to pre-schoolers. All the mass media are also controlled by companies that are owned or have connections to the ruling political party.

Anybody or any party that does not subscribe to the ideologies of the ruling party are suspected to be the agents of unknown parties or the West who are trying to bring down our peaceful way of life. You can then be labeled 'a threat to national security' and sent to a detention camp without evidence or trial.

I hope for the sake and future of Malaysia that while we debate about different forms of nation states, that we do not ignore the present changes in our society.