Malaysiakini: Death of detainee - Syed Hamid says it all

Malaysians are all too familiar with how the authorities handled peaceful marches like the BERSIH rally in 2007 and the arrests of participants of candlelight vigils and anti-war gatherings with riot police and water cannons. And not to mention the unholy trinity of ISA arrests of a blogger, an Opposition MP and a reporter of whom Syed Hamid gave the excuse of 'protecting her from death threats'.

If such indiscretion and the blatant abuse of preventive laws by the Home Ministry and the police are not acts far above the law, then what is? Syed Hamid must realize that for every finger he points at others, three are pointing back. It is true that the Home Minister is the man who calls the shots on who should be arrested and which assembly should be halted. But then again, every educated Malaysian knows adjectives like 'seditious', 'dangerous' or 'unruly' for an assembly or a person are subjected to the Home Minister's interpretation of events. The truth is, he is a lousy interpreter.