Democracy! That’s the heart-cry of every thinking and peace-loving Malaysian. Why? Democracy spells bondage-free freedom and balanced justice for all, irrespective of colour, class or creed. It means the freedom to live life without fear, to speak up against injustice and malpractice of all kinds without fear and to expose or bring to justice all sorts of evil that suppress or oppress the people.

Democracy doesn’t use intimidating threats or throw its weight of power on the citizens who care and dare to exercise their democratic rights to champion the cause of the innocents or the silently suffering in our midst.

Democracy devoid of freedom of speech and expression is authoritarian autocracy. Democracy respects the people’s rights and opinions without getting offended. Democracy does not attack those who speak against the ruling government by wielding all kinds of acts and legislation against such vocal souls.

There is a place for the use of certain acts. But they should be used in the context of a true democracy; failing which, it shows the insecure immaturity of the ruling power. The reckless use of the ISA, OSA, Sedition Act or whatever security/insecurity acts only sow the seeds of fear, animosity and destruction..

One harmless, God-fearing, young mother was hauled up during Operation Lallang when the ISA vultures were summoned to swoop down and round up everyone considered a ‘great security risk’. Risk to who? To the rakyat or to the tyrants of terror? What was her crime that so endangered the rakyat that justified the inhuman action of the then ruling government?

Needless to say, during that period of time, the rakyat went into ‘silent’ mode. Gone was freedom. Especially freedom of speech and expression. In a sense, the ruling party did accomplish what they set out to achieve through their reign of terror. The shockwaves of fear and terror ran in the veins of almost every ordinary Malaysian for many years after that inhuman operation.

There was a time, more than ten years ago, when I was deprived of my claims from a government department. I wrote in to request for it but was flatly denied without convincing reasons. Because I was dissatisfied with their response, I personally paid the officers many visits. As I seemed to hit a dead wall, I warned the officer concerned not to push me into taking legal action against the department; to which he replied that I would never win against the government (like the government can get away with any crime!) and discouraged me from doing so.

However, his words failed to cripple me. Instead, they catapulted me into a long and tedious legal battle against that department and the government which I won in the end. Strangely, several years after my legal victory, I bumped into that same officer who humbly acknowledged that (unknown to me) my victory had benefitted many. So, my fight for justice was well worth it.

My stories are not all dismal. At an age when our police force is fast losing popularity and having their image badly tarnished, let me share one amusing incident which occurred early this decade. I received a traffic summons for over-speeding. I felt I was not guilty of. My car was accused of speeding dangerously at 82 km/h at an inclined position (I saw this in the picture captured) at one near-empty new flyover four or five lanes in breadth. I went to the police station to voice my displeasure at the reception counter. After some small exchanges, I was advised to write in to their chief if I was not happy. I did.

I waited for some invitation (from the chief) which seemed to take a long time. I actually went over to the same police station several times before I finally met up with this powerful chief in person. Unlike what most of us would imagine, this chief turned out to be a perfect gentleman, very customer-friendly and warm. He didn’t throw his weight around like the typical power- packed type. He took the trouble and time to carefully read and study my letter. He agreed with everything I wrote except that the camera was faulty (I couldn’t see the face of the driver behind the wheel – it was total darkness inside the car. Bad photography, I guess.).

I countered that this was only my opinion. He smilingly handed me a new summons with a fine amounting to RM0.00 to be paid at the cashier’s counter.

In this humorous police chief, I don’t just see a civilised, perfect gentleman but also a careful listener and altogether, an exemplary model of fairness, justice and democracy. Before I bade him goodbye, I smiled back at him and pointed to a sticker on the wall behind his chair and gave him the thumbs up. His sticker read: ‘Feel free to disagree with me’.