"The term is misused. No one can 'love' a country. Do you mean am I happy with the pm's BN coalition, perhaps?"

"I'm only looking at this article by the pm. He says that if you don't like him you should leave."

"I thought he said that if we don't like him he would resign. Has he changed his mind?"

"I think so. Now he wants you to resign."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. They can lock me up or torture me or whatever, but I am staying, and I am going to continue to stand up for what I think is right. As a Muslim I cannot do otherwise, and neither can you."

"What would happen if everyone who is unhappy with the situation actually packs up and goes away?"

"Malaysia would immediately go into the dark ages, that's what."

"Why do you say that?"

"Think about it. There were almost half of the eligible voters who wanted the BA candidates. Another block of young voters, almost 700,000 were kept out of the election by chicanery. They were overwhelmingly for change."

"I know the younger generation is fed up with the whole rotten bunch."

"Change is inevitable. The pm knows the game is over. He is just grasping at straws."

"Ahmad, why does he say such things if he doesn't mean them?"

"Well, Ali, what else can he do? He has to pretend that he has some following. He wants to equate himself with the country. If you don't agree with his dictatorship, then you are the enemy. His critics are thus traitors. Hitler was very successful in merging the government of Germany and his National Socialist Party (Nazi). The pm is just trying to mimic Hitler."

"Ahmad, it isn't working."

"Ali, who is the most powerful man in Malaysia?"

"The pm."

"Then don't say it doesn't work."

"I meant that the people aren't being duped."

"The thinking people weren't duped in Germany. Hitler still managed to get about 40 million people killed in the mad pursuit of his policies."

"Ahmad, do you think the pm is a dictator?"

"Yes, in all but official title. He has the same freedom of action, and he is guided by totally selfish ambitions. Dictators justify themselves by strutting about and getting people to believe that only they can lead the country. The pm fits the mold."

"Ahmad, is he serious ... about leaving the country, I mean?"

"Certainly not. He just wants to intimidate and create fear and guilt in his critics ... and his potential critics. If everyone who wants change left Malaysia there would be very few left."

"What would happen if half of the people left, just for instance?"

"Immediately the retail sales would be halved. Half the employees would be gone. Almost all of the civil servants would be gone. The government would be closed down."

"Ahmad, I have an idea."

"What?"

"Why don't we not leave, and just say we did."

"Be serious, Ali."

"I mean, we could go into hiding."

"You think we should all move to Kelantan or Terangganu?"

"No, I mean why don't we withdraw ... drop out, as the hippies used to say."

"Ali, one doesn't 'drop out' that easily. There are practical considerations."

"What I am thinking is for everyone who doesn't like the BN coalition to withdraw from the economy. Take Your money out of the bank, and don't spend it. Just buy the food you need from the kedai. Stay away from all of the mega-projects. Make it seem that we have left."

"If everyone did that, it would certainly be noticed."

"Well, let's do it."

"I don't think the time is here yet."

"The pm says it is."

"Ali, it sounds crazy, but it just might work."

"But will the rakyat do it, that's the question."

"Ali, there are lives at stake right now, and there are certain to be more. This is a way to bring about change without any lives being lost. Maybe people will see that."

"OK, let's call the pm's bluff ... make him beg us to come back."