Photos of Bloody Sunday protestor Zahir Hassan being repeatedly kicked by a group of riot police have roused outrage among some readers.

Ashamed to be Malaysian: Please send these shameful photos to the prime minister. He's the home minister and the Big Boss of those FRU samseng (gangsters). Keep sending the photos to the Big Boss till he gets as nauseated as most of his citizens. Shame on that group of FRU cowards for attacking an unarmed man, who had nothing in his hand except a booklet !

Meng: It's not unexpected that the police and BN leaders condone such animalistic behaviour by the police. Kicking Zahir while he was on the ground amounts to bullying. Here is an unarmed man with no protective gear at all and we see four or five fully geared, armed police standing around him kicking and abusing him.

According to the police chief, they had used minimum force and it was in self-defence. What hogwash! When fully-geared riot police with batons and shields come kicking and pushing Malaysian citizens who gather for a peaceful demonstration; it is a real shame! There is no more dignity in their uniforms. Let's be frank - they are not there to protect the people or to keep law and order. They are there to protect the Barisan Nasional government and to quash any protest against BN policies. By their actions, there was no law and order. If they had left it for a couple of hours, the people would just have left peacefully.

I am now convinced that the Royal Malaysian Police is not there to protect the people by upholding their rights enshrined under the sacred constitution of Malaysia. They are there to ensure the BN governments rule forever and ever more. If an opposition party wins in a general election, there will be chaos and havoc caused by the Royal Malaysian Police themselves! It is clear that their loyalty is to the BN government and not the country. If reformation is not for now, then when?

Dhammika: The PM must immediately implement the IPCMC without delay. Look at all the incidences of late. Is the IGP trying to tell the people that the police acted out in self-defence when the demonstrators were not armed with any dangerous weapons except for mineral water bottles.

What about the brutal treatment of Anwar Ibrahim until he nearly lost his sight and the same goes to all the ISA detainees? Are they doing it out of self-defence in the prison cells? All Malaysian should come out to the open and condemn the action. Our PM has let us down completely on many issues by acting deaf, dumb and blind. Anyway, he can carry on like this till the next election and the people know how to exercise their rights without fear of police beating.

The following are a selection of readers' comments on other reports. This one is on Nazri: No blackout but Dr M crossed the line

Mat Golden Warrior: Both the present Abdullah and the past Mahathir governments have strongly subscribed to the concept of 'masyarakat penyayang' (caring society) and the Malaysian socio-moral values, most outstanding among them are the respect for elders, strong family ties and gratitude to those who have been kind and helpful

The interview witha Datuk Nazri sadly reflects the failure of such campaigns to instil these lofty social values that would make Malaysia a land envied by all when we reach the fully developed nation status. It should sadden anyone who holds dear to such a concept which would make Malaysians decent and humane. It is a no-no thing to talk down to your elder in public, more so when that elder has been the source of one's greatness and success in life. Yet politics and power corrupt.

Look at our prime minister. He is displaying such a high moral deference to Dr Mahathir. See too, how much he has been directly provoked yet remains respectful of the elder leader. That's the way to go. Clearly Datuk Nazri can learn a thing or two from him.

Don't get me wrong, I think elders can be chastised by others, young as well as aged. But there are ways and means to do so - definitely not by a public display like Nazri's. Until the lesson is learned, I fear, our second echelon leaders will not be able to earn the respect they deserved.

Cherie Blair faces bar from M'sian court case

Joe Public: Cherie Blair QC, should be allowed to act for the Fawziah group. It would be refreshing to have a foreign viewpoint in relation to our application of the law. No doubt, we have our conditions for admission, but would it not be too late if during the progress of the case, it was discovered that certain complexities require that bit of extra knowledge and experience?

The 'pre-qualification' process assumes that the legal arguments are predictable and that there is nothing that our local lawyers cannot handle. After all, the company will be footing the legal fees since the directors are not so nave as to spend unnecessary money if they did not think it is worth it. It's okay so long as the local lawyers do not object and I do not mean those representing Metramac! Also, the attorney-general should not be involved. He is already too powerful and have his hands full on other cases.

I am sure in other fields like architecture where foreign professionals are allowed, how are we to know if they possess special skills unavailable locally? It is all subjective and this can be decided either way, depending on who is in charge.

As a layman, I think the presence of a foreign legal expert will help in ensuring a higher standard of presentation and arguments. Cherie Blair's mere presence will act as an inspiration and with the expected glare of international publicity, everyone will be kept on their toes. Some might even rise to the occasion.

On US diplomat: China's rapid rise a problem

David: Why is China, with no visible enemy, spending big on its military? I am not a military specialist but it should be obvious to all that the biggest threat to China is United States - not that China will attack the US but it would have a conventional war capability to deter the country from being arm twisted by the biggest bully on the planet.

I find the so-called military experts from the West often developed analyses based on Western cultural behaviour. If you are weak, you are at their mercy. Eastern cultures understand diversity and respect other cultures better. It is no coincidence that the Chinese diplomats in Southeast Asia are talking about the exploits of Admiral Cheng Ho. He has been round the world a few hundred years before Columbus but did he colonise the weak natives? China in that period was a superpower. My advice to all those so-called military experts on China is to study Chinese history before calling yourself an expert..