The ISA crackdown is a travesty of justice honed to perfection by a regime afflicted with dementia. Didn't someone once say, ‘those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad?’

On ISA crackdown as Pak Lah faces dissension

Flaneur: I have no words left to describe the latest moves by our honourable and beloved leaders who are so deeply revered by the rakyat that it bleeds the heart just to hear them proclaim their actions stem from their concern for the people's welfare and safety.

Using the thesaurus to find synonyms for dirty politicians, one would still be totally lost for words to describe these fellows. The innocent get arrested while the corrupt are still free to roam.

A travesty of justice honed to perfection by a regime afflicted with dementia (a disease caused by a gradual death of brain cells leading to... insanity?). Didn't someone once say, ‘those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad?’

John Z:

I knew Ahmad Ismail’s punishment, however light-handed, was too good to be true, that Umno was actually turning over a new leaf.

The arrests of the three is uncalled for, especially of the reporter. It's akin to ultimately punishing the person who shouted ‘fire’ instead of the actual person who lit the match and started the fire. The logic being that if the person did not shout fire, the house would have burnt quietly to the ground with nobody ever having known the existence of the fire.

What kind of justice is that? I guess Umno wants to drill into our heads that in their Malaysia, justice is not blind, it looks at skin colour and political affiliation.

And I would like to bring your attention to the supposedly ‘new and improved’ MCA. Where is the outrage from the people that matter? Namely the presidential hopefuls of Ong Tee Keat, Chua Jui Meng and Chua Soi Lek? Their silence once again proves that MCA is too cowardly to do anything for the rakyat .

Kumar: As the Sept 16 dateline approaches, an increasingly panicky Umno has resorted to use of the ISA to create a climate of fear. While pretending to act against racism and religious bigotry, the government is in fact, trying to stir up these issues to make it seem as though Malays and Muslims are under attack.

How else can we explain action against three dailies simply for reporting the racial slurs of Ahmad Ismail? While the unapologetic Ahamd was let off with a punishment of no real consequence, the Sin Chew reporter was slammed with the ISA.

The ISA jackhammer was also used against MP Teresa Kok for allegedly complaining about the call to prayers from a mosque. This is hardly a matter of national emergency.

Those who bleated about democratic principles being compromised by MPs crossing over to bring down the BN government should now hang their heads in shame. If this present government is not brought down as soon as possible, it will destroy the last remaining shred of democratic principles that the nation still holds and we can expect the next general elections to be in the style of Zimbabwe.

Doc: In the light of recent events, I am very disappointed with the muteness of top leaders in the coalition party within BN. After years of our undivided support, have they no empathy towards the grassroots?

It is time that they put their selfish agendas aside and support the rakyat . They must stand up and be counted. Having a stand which goes against the status quo is better than being ultimately vilified and despised by the very people they profess to serve.

Glo: What a nasty shock to read that the despicable and unjust ISA has once again been employed by the government to silence and intimidate the rakyat .

And why? All because of a threat of being toppled by Pakatan Rakyat. These actions have contributed and hastened its demise as a credible government as it resorts to acts of intimidation and thuggery in an attempt to stay in power. Sadly, any slender hope of reformation that might have been held by the rakyat has evaporated.

Ultimately, this episode (and all like it) are damaging Malaysia's image internationally. Without a doubt, the eyes of the world are watching us and the government is disgracing Malaysia on the world stage in 2008.

Please release RPK, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng immediately.

Loyal Malaysian: So, the sword has been unsheathed. But not for the course of justice and fairness. But as a tool for intimidation and punishing the messenger, while Ahmad Ismail can rub our faces in his defiant roadshow.

So, as of now, three personalities who were in their own way trying to bring about a more just, fair, democratic and civil society in Malaysia have been incarcerated under the ISA. I have no doubt many more will follow.

So, even as I have misgivings about the morality of Anwar Ibrahim’s September 16 takeover plan, this development shows that such concerns are misplaced. Umno has no qualms about using all underhanded, evil and draconian tools at their disposal.

Now, the people are praying that Anwar and his strategists have factored these recent developments into their plans, and Pakatan Rakyat will form the next federal government as soon as possible.

Taneug: A true Malaysian hero has been silenced by a corrupt government using the tactic common to a tin-pot dictator in order to save its own skin. Fearful of charging RPK in court in a case it cannot win by argument, it has cowardly resorted to an archaic law originally designed for some justifiable purpose but is now used to suppress political opponents.

What government arrests a journalist who reports a racist comment but lets the author of the comment go free except to placate the racist’s supporters, the latter having been temporarily suspended from the government's party, thus proving the veracity of the report?

What government arrests a lawmaker (conveniently opposition) that was accused of asking mosques to lower the decibels of its broadcasts (since proven untrue as the mosque has explained that its speaker system had broken down) but let the accuser go free, because the accuser belongs to the government party and the newspaper which reported the slur is owned by the government?

This government is shameless and morally bankrupt.