Taking a swipe at recent security laws, former federal minister Rafidah Aziz expressed sadness that Malaysians are being made to toe the line with new laws that corral the citizens like cattle.

"It shows how bad things have become...when we can no longer govern ourselves...but need all kinds of 'laws' to be enacted...and fences to corral us...like cattle.

"We now have given new and distorted meanings to the concept of things such as loyalty, support, and governance," lamented Rafidah in a Facebook posting.

This she said, is as people are seeing the erosion and breaking down of systems and institutions, with trust and confidence in authorities at record lows.

"We see those being placed in positions of trust...seemingly violating that trust.

"We see the young feeling disappointed. And those of my era seeing what had been painstakingly built...being chiselled away and demolished," she wrote.

To add salt to the wound, said Rafidah, is that the country which was once the toast of the world, is curently relegated to the global lists of the bad and negative.

"And Malaysia really has so much to offer..." she bemoaned.

The former minister said that she longed for the sanity of good, honest leadership and government.

"When the people and country matter most, when service means serving the nation, not self-service, not words and slogans. But nose-to-the-grindstone, work and service. When good core principles of life and the guidance of our faiths, restrain us from shamelessly benefiting from abuse of authority and power.

"We are all humans. Perfection is not human. Perfection is The Almighty. But we can be better, and be the best of humans. Not the worst," opined the former Wanita Umno chief.

She also denied allegations that she might be one of those plotting against the present government, but added that what she is indeed doing, is talking to the highest authority she knows, praying for a change in Malaysia.

"I pray each day for the Almighty's salvation for my country, Malaysia," she concluded.

Despite promising that the days of 'government knows best' are over when he took office, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has reversed his oath to repeal the Sedition Act, instead strengthening it and introducing a bevy of security laws that mimic the now defunct Internal Security Act, using the war on terror as an excuse.

Its critics say the laws have been used more against legitimate democratic dissent, than in stamping out terror activities.

The recent National Security Council Act which came into force on Monday, has also riled civil society and government critics, for allegedly dangerously putting wide-sweeping and arbitrary powers into the hands of the prime minister.