‘Don't inconvenience Malaysians again with your silly political overtures. As for PDRM - get back to work and focus on your core duties.’

On Gridlock in KL as police mount roadblocks

Fed Up KL Resident: In the last two months, I've had an aunt and a friend who both landed in hospital due to snatch thieves.

It took them three months to recover from their injuries and shock not to mention they now fear and shudder every time they encounter a stranger walking towards them. They feel unsafe in their own country.

My sister-in-law who stays in Baiduri Subang Jaya has three neighbours whose houses were broken into within a week. What are the police doing about this spate of break-ins?

In both incidents, the police took a long time to appear to help these ordinary law-abiding citizens.

We now have 15 police cars and whatever special forces rushing to Segambut to arrest one man who was willing to turn himself in anyway.

God knows how many policemen will be sent to arrest some other man tomorrow and how many hundreds of policemen will be sent to man roadblocks for non-existent rallies.

Do they have their heads screwed on tightly on their shoulders or are our BN politicians going bonkers with this sudden urge to protect the Malaysian public from disruptive rallies?

I wish our dear politicians could experience for themselves what a massive mess they effected on the general public last Monday.

If you want to know why you lost in the recent elections, continue with these type of stupid activities.

Please don't inconvenience the Malaysian public again with your silly political overtures. As for PDRM - get back to work and focus on your core duties which are to provide a safe and secure environment for all Malaysians to live in peacefully.

CK Chim: The police's tactic of setting up roadblocks in hot spots whenever they please just shows their total lack of respect and blatant disregard for the rights of the rakyat .

Instead of creating a gridlock and virtually bringing the whole city to a stand still, isn't it better to allocate a nearby open space like car parks or open fields for demonstrations to be held?

The rakyat are not violent or rowdy folks and do not throw Molotov cocktails or bricks like in some foreign lands. Having our voices heard is our basic right in a democratic country.

Perhaps it is a psychological ploy to annoy the public into blaming Pakatan Rakyat.

If this is true, then the powers-that-be have failed, because the majority are no longer as ignorant and gullible as in the past.

Whether it is merely a perception or the truth, the enforcement authorities today have a huge credibility and integrity problem.

All these games they are playing will only succeed in driving the wedge further between them and the very folk whom they have been entrusted to protect.

On Raja Petra arrested, charged in court

Arunasalam P: What is wrong with our police force? If RPK has defamed the DPM and others let the persons concerned file civil defamation suits against him.

First and foremost, criminal defamation should be repealed. Criminal defamation is a strong weapon in the hands of the police and those in power to suppress freedom of speech and oppress the people.

Hundreds of cases are heard in our courts and thousands of police reports are made annually. Will the police use criminal defamation to charge those who defamed one party or the other?

If they do that, the police force and the public prosecutors would go mad as they would have no other work but to handle criminal defamation day in and day out.

Take a look at some neighboring countries where their leaders take civil action against those who defame them. In Malaysia, the DPM and others mentioned in the RPK’s Statutory Declaration appear to be hiding behind criminal defamation.

Come on, don’t waste taxpayers money on criminal defamation against RPK. It is going to be a protracted, costly battle and a waste of public funds. Let us demand that criminal defamation be repealed.

Joe Fernandez: They have no choice but to charge him. They authorities must prove he's guilty, not he prove his innocence.

Knowing the half-past six government lawyers, the case will just drag on like the Altantuya case.

Under the quota system, they just turn out lawyers like a factory line. They have no business being in a profession where merit is the sole criteria.

Concerned Malaysian: I am at a loss. How can RPK be charged with criminal defamation at this point in time? The Altantuya murder trial is ongoing.

Although the DPM and his wife are not charged with involvement, it appears that our police have already decided that they are innocent despite two statutory declarations implicating them.

So when have the police taken over the jobs of judge and jury? Maybe, we should do away with judges as our police can wrap up cases very much faster and clear all the backlog of cases.

On US expresses 'serious concerns', Japan seeks more info

Senseless: When something is done constitutionally and according to the true spirit of law, nobody will raise a concern.

This time around Japan is also feeling something unusual is happening to a nation in which they have lots of investment. Not only the US alone.

How do you project our country’s good image in the international diplomatic arena if we keep abusing your power against the opposition?

Please remember we are living in a borderless age. No Iron Curtain. No Bamboo Curtain. It is all transparent.

Sending a battalion of police personnel plus 15 cars will make us a laughing stock and joke of the year. Anwar is just a common citizen.

Please use common sense, for goodness sake.

Garry Khoo: I'm wondering why Japan and the US are concerned over the Anwar allegations.

I would think it is because both countries have a lot of businesses over here in Malaysia. I'm sure it is not because of a childish 'snitch' problem.

If the Malaysian government is bad, then their businesses will be affected.

No one in this world do something for nothing including all our MPs in Malaysia. Don't slap your own face, Syed Hamid.

On Politicians, what are the 'rakyat' saying?

Angry Rakyat: There was a time when our country was regarded as a place with peace and harmony where everyone was happy, the economy was good, crime rate was at minimal, and politicians were like our friends.

Those time have changed, everyday we wake up in fear of demonstrations, road blocks, price hikes etc. The government gives all kind of reasons for implementing actions to evade such situations but honestly speaking, does the government think that we are stupid?

We elect all of you, but instead you people make our life miserable with all these so-called ‘people-eccentric’ actions.

There is no press freedom for if we take any local newspaper, we see that all it supports are the actions of the government. They never highlight the people’s grouses.

Of course, not only the media but the enforcement agencies also. I used to be a loyal reader of a well-known local newspaper, but nowadays I don’t feel the sense of purity or openness of the news published in it.

On the recent arrest of a famous ex-minister, it's very clear even in the mind of a six-year-old that what we're seeing now is a mere drama. The public just wants to lead a normal life so please don’t make us suffer with uneducated styles of action that burden the rakyat.

We don’t want road-blocks, we don’t want your petty political issues. We just want a normal peaceful life.

Mah Hong Seng: I sense the BN government is in a very grave crisis within a crisis and there is no light at the end of the tunnel with incompetent leaders and no strategic intent.

This Anwar and Raja Petra arrest is a fair judgment of the BN government’s vindictive and desperate nature.

They should be getting the nation’s brains and heads together after 50 years to draw a blueprint for economic growth but instead they are on an oppressive and defensive mood to destroy the opposition.

I predict the BN government will instigate Pakatan supporters to start doing things unbecoming which will give reasons for the BN government to declare that we only need only one party to rule us (though proved to be corrupted).

Politics is dirty even in Malaysia, more so in bad times. But the responsibility should be more on the ruling party.

Garry Khoo: I hope that the federal government in power will learn their lesson. The opposition is very important for the rakyat .

If the current federal government keeps treating the rakyat badly, the opposition will take over. The rakyat doesn't care who makes up the federal government as long as they do their job for the rakyat and country.

Bring down the oil price now and reduce food prices. Now, food prices are increasing everywhere especially at hawker stalls. Not everyone can cook at home.

Nirmala Naidu: Honestly, I am tongue tied and have no words to express the gullibility and extreme silliness of our BN government. Exactly what were they trying to prove?

Doesn’t BN realise they’re falling out of favour with the people rapidly? Does it take a genius to figure that out?

The way I see it, BN is digging a grave and it is getting deeper and deeper and soon they will be buried in a grave dug by themselves. Their actions infuriate the people even more.

Exactly what were they looking for in the recent road blocks? Swords, machetes? What? Even a fool will know not to carry weapons or arms on a normal day what more if they want to attend a rally.

Arresting RPK will only make matters worse. I guess BN is running out of ideas. They seem so desperate to do something.

It is their ego. They feel they need to react and show they are in control and in power. Little do they realise that silence can actually be deafening.

Cheong Pah: With regards to Anwar’s arrest, I already predicted something of this nature to happen many weeks ago in one of my e-mails to the office of DSAI.

The Umno government is clearly and specifically saying to the opposition ‘We are ‘giving it’ to you hard but what can you do? Wanna have some more?’

DAP fellas, better watch what you say and do, you could be next. PAS can still throw some punches, but don't worry, they are dying to ‘go to bed' with PAS.’

Richard Teo: This government has failed us. Those who voted to allow BN to continue ruling the country must now be kicking themselves.

For the first time in 50 years of BN rule, the people have a glimpse of how pathetic our leaders are. They would resort to any evil deeds so as to frustrate any one brave enough to challenge their authority.

That someone who dared to challenge BN was Anwar Ibrahim.And for that he is now paying the price for his ambition of becoming the next PM. This government has shown that it will not only not tolerate dissent but it will not sit by and allow any one to usurp what they feel is their divine right to govern this country for eternity.

The sodomy case against the Pakatan leader has made a mockery of our country. Our home minister has made a fool of himself by ordering a convoy of 15 police cars to arrest a defenceless old man of 60.

By emphasising the importance of sodomy as a crime of major proportions the home minister has made us a laughing stock of the international community.

Instead of focussing its attention and resources on the murder of the Mongolian model where altogether three statutory declarations have been made mentioning the DPM, the police chose to harass and arrest a man on a dubious sodomy charge.

For the second time in 10 years , the police have portrayed themselves as a tool of the ruling party when they should have been bipartisan.

Their active participation in an insignificant crime for political expediency when serious crimes are skyrocketing only reflects their lack of professionalism.

On Patto - 'fighter of the people'

Concerned Malaysian: I read this article by Choo Sing Chye about Patto, not that it is about an Indian but more so by a Chinese about an Indian. That reminded me of my belief in ideals that I learnt in my university that somehow clinged on to me.

Choo Sing Chye just proved that humanity has no boundaries of race, religion creed or culture. Bravo! I was moved by his writing and my eyes went watery as to not only on the content but also the intent.

I read it as a sign of hope that Malaysians can live in harmony in Malaysia without making reference to race or religion or race-based politics which has corrupted the minds of the people.

I think there are many Malaysian who think like Patto, Sing Chye and I and that we can make it happen only if we are willing to forego the stigma of race based politics.

I truly hope that the new dawn in Malaysia does not stop after the March 8 episode but continues in a direction towards Malaysian eventually not talking about ‘Ketuanan’ Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban etc but Ketuanan Rakyat instead.

Let's move the people away from race to truly share the bliss of living in Malaysian as one nation.