Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn is losing his plot. Having first tacitly endorsed mass protests by disgruntled Muslims last week, he backed down by passing the buck to the police, conveniently forgetting he should be in charge.

Hishammuddin was adamant that things were under control, only to be slapped in the face when more acts of vandalism on worship places happened, forcing him to threaten his detractors with the draconian Internal Security Act.