COMMENT The rise of the far right and the religious bigots in Malaysia has in turn given rise to a movement of “moderates”. As human beings, we have an instinctive grasp of the ancient wisdom of moderation as the (Tao) way to a healthy body and way of life.

In the body politic, however, espousing “moderation” becomes imprecise since it is an example of fluffy language that is also used by the powers-that-be to deal with those who uphold truth, justice and human rights. Let me illustrate what I mean.

When I was detained without trial by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad under Operasi Lalang from 1987 to 1989, the Special Branch - in their relentless interrogations - had insisted on categorising me as an “extremist”. Among ‘allegations of fact’ under the Internal Security Act (ISA), I was alleged to have written a book titled, ‘Polarisation in Malaysia: The Root Causes’.

This is an excellent example of the relativism of “moderation” and “extremism” in Malaysia.