The 2,000-odd signatures collected for the Bar Council's campaign for the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not a success at all. After five days, it means less than 250 signatures a day. That's not even 0.05% of all Malaysian netizens.

It shows that even most of the Bar Council's own members have not signed it (perhaps they have not gone online in the last four days). While we applaud the Bar Council's move for this online petition campaign , more efforts must be taken for it to really gain momentum.

The IPCMC move has now become an iconic battle between a democratic mandate (BN won the 2004 election handsomely on a manifesto which stressed twice on police reform) and a security force that defies the mandate (now sadly supported by some BN parliamentarians who betrayed their own mandate).

As one of malaysiakini readers has wisely pointed out , it poses the question whether Malaysia is still a constitutional monarchy under civilian rule or whether the Royal Malaysian Police (Polis Di Raja Malaysia) has now ascended to royalty status (Polis Raja Di Malaysia).

I urge all individuals and groups - whether professional, cultural, community, educational or political - concerned about democracy, freedom, human rights and rule of law to help galvanise more support for the Bar Council's campaign. It's time we must all say 'yes' to rule of law and no to rule of the gun.