While the protestors outside the recent Bar Council's forum to discuss issues regarding religious conversion may have achieved their short-term objective of stopping the forum, their actions may have just provided the spark needed for moderate Muslims to fight back.

Most of the comments and columns featured in newspapers and in the blogosphere in the aftermath of the protests were of the opinion that the whole episode was a step back for the democratic process in Malaysia.

While the actions of the unruly protestors and the one or two individuals who managed to get inside the forum venue were indeed disgraceful and reprehensible, the reactions to these actions were actually a positive indication that some things have changed for the better.