Has ISA Make the Country More Peaceful?

ISA has made the country more peaceful. A letter by Mansor Puteh and published by The Star.

Who is Mansor Puteh? I don't know. I've never seen him. But when I searched the web, he was everywhere. It seems like he is a famous academic in Malaysia, and also an alumni from University of Columbia. He wrote a lengthy good letter and was published in Rocky's Bru's blogsite.

But, has ISA made the country more peaceful? Well, in a certain extent, I would say yes. But that depends on how, who and when to use it. Peacefulness is not just about not having people to walk the street, it's more than that. It's defined in a broader spectrum involving calmness, tranquility, absence of mental stress and absence of war.

Mansor said: "The Government may be heavy-handed with the Act, but only on those who wish to harm the well-being of the people." Who are you referring to? Tan Cheng Hoon? Teresa Kok? Raja Petra Kamaruddin? Lim Guan Eng? Who have they harmed? UMNO, the only righteous? I don't feel peaceful at all because the UMNO government is arresting law abiding citizen at will for telling the truth and criticism targeting at them. By the way, the Gestapo of Nazi were also doing the same in the name of "protective custody", will you support the Nazi?

Mansor said: "Taking matters to the streets can only give unknown individuals national recognition, and this is what most of them want. And many just beg to be detained under the very law they oppose." First of all, I don't understanding what is wrong with taking matters to the street peacefully. Is that a threat to the well-being of the people that ISA should be used on these people? Personally I don't find it a disturb to peace of mind. On the contrary, it's a demonstration of democracy! We should be happy that democracy has take its course. Many countries which allow demonstration are much more peaceful than Malaysia.

While taking matters to the street may give unknown individuals national recognition, and perhaps that is what most of them want (if that's what Mansor believed), but what's the point of begging to be detained under ISA? Hey, no joke here, it's the Polis Di-Raja Malaysia that we are talking about here. Detainees have higher risk to be killed by the police than a snake. It's safe to say if you see a snake and a police, kill the police first. Because the police are much more vicious and dangerous than a snake. Mansor must be kidding when he suggested people are begging to be arrested under ISA. Is there any discerning soul who would put their life at risk for an uncertain fame? It's unthinkable. For each life lost under the custody of police, I don't feel peaceful at all!

Mansor said: "The irony is that once the ISA is repealed or reviewed to make it less harmful to these people, many will immediately become useless because they will not have anything to prove to the public." No, there are still plenty to be done. It's not done until all the restrictive laws like the Official Secrets Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, The Sedition Act, etc are repealed, revised or abolished. Not just that, the group of unthinkable must fight to demand for a clean judiciary and most of all, until UMNO changes or be changed! Then I would feel the peacefulness.