COMMENT It might seem like a small thing, but the protest by the Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association against the planned Falun Gong lantern procession illustrates just how dangerous it is that if we depend too much on China for their investments and largesse, we could lose ourselves in the effort to curry favour with the superpower.

It might be that one day all China has to say is "jump" and Malaysia will automatically ask "how high", or worse, involuntarily launch into the sky with a will that is neither our own, nor to our benefit.

We might suddenly forget that our compass should be on Malaysian issues and not to import China's concerns and make them our own.

After all, Falun Gong is a legally-registered society that operates within the bounds of Malaysian law.

Just because Falun Gong is outlawed in China, and that country is uneasy about its operation over here, it does not mean we can take away the rights of other Malaysians, and give away our sovereign right to activities on our own soil.

If our ministers can say that embezzlers, paedophiles and rapists who commit their crimes overseas are free to come back home to Malaysia as they have not committed any crime locally, shouldn't a society that did not break any local laws be allowed to operate without hindrance, too?

Why then should we import the concerns of a foreign nation onto our doorsteps, unless it involves truly heinous crimes or real criminals?

Indeed, concerns over China's influence that may impinge on our sovereignty stems from this propensity to do all the things one can think of, just to "please" China investors, officials and tourists.

As some nations have found out the hard way, Sri Lanka for example, realised that being at the receiving end of China's 'generosity' can be a less than desired thing.

Yes, we should welcome foreign investments, but we must be wary of all the strings that come attached.

First, it is Falun Gong. What's next that Malaysians must give up, just because some people do not want to make China feel uneasy?

After all, we are already repatriating alleged Uighur activists to China, and also refusing to join in condemning China's continued hegemony over the South China Sea.

This is why we must worry if our government and petty traders continue to be beholden to the Middle Kingdom for their largesse.

If anything, we must treat China just like any other investor, and not bend over backwards too much to please them.

HAZLAN ZAKARIA is a member of the Malaysiakini Team.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.