'Despicable' is the one word to describe the unnecessary and shameful police behaviour at the recent peaceful anti-price hike demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Considering the claims by the 'leaders' about Malaysia being a so-called progressive nation, I find it appalling to observe the unwillingness and/or inability of the police to ensure the prevalence of peace and order.

Who do the police think they are? They are merely civil servants, whose job is to serve and protect the citizens, not to stand in the way of citizens when they 'speak' albeit through a peaceful demonstration.

Attempts at rationalising the crude and barbaric handling of the demonstrators sound like a broken record. To start off, what was the police's game plan at the demonstration? Was it to maintain safety and order of the citizen-demonstrators, or was it to break up the demonstration in the shortest time possible?

Of course, we have individuals saying that the demonstrators have no 'permit' to demonstrate. If we are such a democratic country as claimed, citizens do not need permits to voice their displeasure at laws or rules that are deemed unjust.

I close by proposing that this distressing state of affairs is one of the many negatives that continue to keep Malaysian professionals abroad from returning home.

Yet we see 'leaders' continuing to talk of inconsequential 'sweeteners' such as enhancing the perks or increasing the monetary rewards to entice returnees.

To me, it is next to impossible to return to a police state.