Lest we forget ....

Today marked the 21st anniversary of Operasi Lallang where 106 people from various political parties, NGOs and even Christian pastors were arrested under the ISA. I'm sure many who were present at the Amcorp Mall candlelight vigil last night were not even born then. Ever since the nation has been carrying this scar and it will still remain and I believe should remain. A scar remind us that something painful has happened. Before a scar, there was a wound.

The wound that has been inflicted on this nation 21 years ago has not been entirely healed. Whenever someone is arrested under the ISA, a fresh wound would appear. The people of this nation has been living under the woundedness of fear. The fear of the midnight knock on the door. The fear that I may be the next one.

Thanks to the events that happened within a year, the Bersih rally, the Hindraf rally and the 8 March political tsunami, many have overcome their fear. Thanks also to many individuals who have been the trailblazers, among them Raja Petra Kamarudin who has now fallen victim to this evil law.

I have resigned to the fact that the ISA will forever remain as law if there is no change of government. As long as BN remains in power, ISA will not even be reviewed let alone be abolished. Look what happened to MCA and Gerakan. None of their MPs signed the memo to the PM to call for a debate on the ISA in Parliament.

Last night at the candlelight vigil people talked about the middle class overcoming their fear. Yes, to a certain extent I surely agree with that. But I'm not sure how long this vigil thing can carry on before the middle class revert back to their comfort zone especially with the global financial crisis worsening each day. The middle class will be more concerned about their money than the issues of justice. Am I being pessimistic? Maybe.

What if there is a round of crackdown, Operasi Lallang II? Will the middle class take to the streets? These are the questions that I'm asking myself as I'm part of the middle class. I believe we will only take to the streets when we are angry enough. Are we angry enough with evil?

21 years. I hope it doesn't have to take another 21 years to abolish the ISA. Malaysia cannot afford that. It's either cosigning the ISA to the rubbish bin of history soon or cosigning Malaysia to the rubbish bin of history as a failed nation. A nation that silence its people without just cause will not last long.