“To paraphrase several sages: Nobody can think and hit someone at the same time.”

- Susan Sontag, ‘Regarding the Pain of Others’

COMMENT I sometimes forget what allegedly goes on beneath the corridors of powers. I sometimes forget that I too was part of the system. As a rejoinder, “I can say without hesitation that there are still those within the ranks of the PDRM, and those who have retired, who are honourable and understand the value of a functional police force but whose ranks are slowly dwindling over the long Umno-BN watch.”

The recent allegations of police brutality and the expected denials and promises of investigations by the authorities do nothing to dispel the level of distrust or cynicism of the average Malaysian against the state security apparatus.

Like an open festering wound that is left unattended, life goes on with corruption scandals and strange political alliances that currently defines our political landscape. Indeed when Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat urges an allegedly abused detainee to lodge a police report, and that he “assure a thorough and fair investigation will be conducted”, one can only smile grimly at the platitude. We have heard this before...