Did using the ISA backfire?

Historically, when the Malaysian government feels its hold on power is severely threatened, it reacts desperately; by secretly pitting the races against each other. In 1969, Tun Razak's faction stirred up racial sentiment in order to erode Tuanku Abdul Rahman's power. The result: a bloody racial confrontation and the blackest mark in our nation's history.

In 1987, the Malay-versus-Chinese sentiment was allowed to boil over resulting in 3 newspapers being shut down and 119 people detained under ISA. This was the infamous Operasi Lalang. (See Malaysiakini's insightful article where former detainees were interviewed. As an aside, I wish Anwar Ibrahim would apologize for his role during that time. Not everything he's done in his political lifetime is admirable).

Now in 2008, in the aftermath of the worst election result in Barisan Nasional's history, their grip on power ever-more tenuous, history threatens to repeat itself. They found an unwitting spark in Ahmad Ismail and played the Malay-vs-Chinese, Chinese-vs-Islam, most-hated-anti-govt-blogger-vs-Islam cards. How did Malaysians react this time? By coming together peacefully, regardless of race, to protest the ISA. Here is Anil Netto's heart-warming piece on the gathering in Penang last night.

It appears that using the ISA this time may have backfired on the government. More people from within the administration are openly protesting its use: Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, even Information Minister Shabery Cheek.

Then again, we have people have like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, minister in the Prime Minister's department, who wanted more people arrested and asked people to focus on the advantages of having the ISA (NST Online).

We can't jail people for being dumb, and we can't jail people for being racists. Malay ultra-nationalists, these pro-Ketuanan-Melayu types will probably always exist, just like the white supremacists and the KKK do in the States.

What we can do is make it known loud and clear that Malaysians are done with politicians who play the race and religion cards to cling to power. To the people holding candlelight vigils in protest of the ISA, I am with you in spirit.