History tells us that authoritarianism seldom bode well for the common women, children and men. I know for sure, the Malaysian people want, and deserve more than the tyrannical authoritarian autocracy that Muhyiddin has ushered us into.

- Howard Lee on Twitter

COMMENT | The opening quote by Howard Lee is indicative of the disconnect between political operatives and the rakyat of Malaysia. Saying that the current prime minister ushered in a “tyrannical authoritarian autocracy” is the kind of ahistorical statement that is right up there with the propaganda “saving Malaysia'' that failed Pakatan Harapan so badly.

When you have a religion of the state which determines the cultural, social and economic destiny of the majority of this country, you are already in a kind of autocracy. When certain words are verboten to some Malaysians based on race and religion, this is tyrannical.

When you have news organisations afraid of touching upon certain "sensitive" issues, this is authoritarian. But that’s not really the issue. The issue is that...