"What for?"

"The buses ... in Lunas ..."

"You mean they are acting on the police reports? That's amazing. Maybe they are going to get to the bottom of this phantom voting mess."

"No, Pakman, they have arrested the people who filed the police reports."

"You mean they have arrested the guys who stopped the buses?"

"That's what the paper says."

"That's disappointing, Rahim. I thought now things would be different. Who filed the police reports to have them arrested?"

"It doesn't say."

"Did the police have an arrest warrant?"

"Apparently not. They were arrested in the early hours of the morning."

"On whose orders?"

"It doesn't say. Just that the guys in the opposition who filed the police reports were arrested. The deputy prosecutor is going to charge them with rioting, or something as ridiculous."

"They never learn, do they?"

"Who, the opposition?"

"No, Rahim, no ... the regime ... the conspirators."

"What conspirators? Do you believe the Anwar story?"

"I believe what I have to believe. Some things are right in front of your nose."

"What are you referring to?"

"Look at the facts, Rahim. There were allegations of voting fraud. Police reports were filed to start an investigation to get the truth of the matter."

"OK. So what?"

"Have you heard anything about that investigation, Rahim?"

"No, have you?"

"Be serious. There has been no investigation, and there isn't going to be one. It will all be hushed up. The blame is now shifted over to the opposition, who uncovered the fraud. Now they must defend themselves."

"But now there is a new Chief Justice ... and a new Attorney-General. Things must be different now."

"Are they different? Are they really different? The attorney-General has discretion whether to press the charges or not. And a trial date has been set, right?"

"Yes ... in April."

"Have you thought what chain of events must have occurred for these arrests to have been made? Have you considered that the policemen who made the arrests are acting on orders given by their superiors?"

"I assume so. They wouldn't just go out into the night and make arrests unless someone gave them orders."

"And who gives them orders? The Inspector General of Police, right?"

"I suppose so."

"But he wouldn't just decide to make a bunch of arrests in a high profile case like this without checking with his boss, would he?"

"No, certainly not."

"And his boss is the Home Minister, the ever gentle and ever fair Dollah, right?"

"Yes ... but he doesn't pick his nose without getting an 'all clear' signal from Mahathir... I see what you are saying ... the arrests came from orders that were given by Mahathir. But why do the police obey?"

"They have no choice, Rahim. Total loyalty is part of the package, and the higher the rank the more that is at stake. After a few years they own you body and soul."

"You were a policeman, Pakman. Why did you quit?"

"It just got to be too much?"

"What do you mean?"

"I joined when I was young, before I married. Life was good. The job was easy. I thought I was doing some good. They didn't ask me to do many things that I thought were wrong. When they did, there was always some story to justify what we were doing. The people arrested or killed were always enemies of society, never innocent people being persecuted. I was able to keep my idealism intact."

"Then why did you quit?"

"Because the situation kept changing for the worse. We were forced to witness mistreatment and torture of prisoners. We were sent out to strong arm innocent people for illegal purposes. It became routine. The police were more and more used to cover up crime, rather than fight it. We were even ordered to commit crimes. Innocent people were murdered on orders from above. The guilty were allowed to go free, while those who complained were prosecuted. Law was turned upside down. Right became wrong. Good became evil. And the ones who carried out the rotten orders got the promotions. I decided I would rather give up my pension and drive a taxi."

"Do you miss it?"

"Some of it, yes ... there was a certain spirit of camaraderie in the barracks where we all lived. None of us had any money, but we could pretty much do as we pleased. We felt we were privileged ... and appreciated. And we were protected, so long as we were never suspected of being traitors."

"How does a policeman get labelled as a traitor?"

"You must always be careful. Never defend the opposition on any issue. Always take the side of the administration. Never read the opposition press. If you are caught with a copy of Harakah there will immediately be questions."

"How would they know?"

"You can't really trust anyone. The Special Branch lives right there in the barracks. One word behind your back and you could be dead ... literally. That part is frightening."

"Would they really kill you?"

"It happens every day. But it is covered up. The internal assassinations are never investigated by an impartial commission. In fact, there is no such commission in Malaysia. The police can do pretty much as they please, so long as the personal interests of the party people are protected."

"How do you mean?"

"The party leaders, and many of their cronies, all have a big personal bodyguard that shields them at all times. They can't go to the store without six bodyguards surrounding them. They are in a sense prisoners of their security. The police form a wall between them and the people."

"You mean they have no privacy at all?"

"None whatsoever. I think that contributes to their paranoia. Because there are so many policemen around them they think the protection is necessary. They think that someone is going to shoot them any time ... like the state assemblyman in Lunas.

"Do you suppose that is what Putrajaya is all about, a refuge from the people?"

"There is some truth to that. And you can watch and see which people are given access to Putrajaya. Only the trusted few. Notice the bodyguards. Are there any Chinese or Indian security men?"

"I don't know. I never paid that much attention."

"Only Malays, my friend Rahim. Only Malays. And very soon it will be Gurkhas. Because the Malays are no longer trusted near the leaders. Remember Indira Ghandi ... she was shot by her own bodyguards, because she offended their religion."

"Before, when you said, 'they never learn,' what did you mean?"

"Just that they continue to make the same mistake over and over again."

"What mistake is that?"

"They think the people all have a short memory. Mahathir says the Malays are stupid. So they feel that they can do anything they please ... the police will protect them, the Attorney General won't prosecute them, and the judges won't find them guilty if they are ever taken to court. After a little time goes by they are safe. All is forgotten. To help things along they can start some new mischief and and put it in the media. That has always worked to provide distraction and divert attention."

"What about Rahim Nor?"

"He was caught red-handed. The Royal Commission smoked him out. They had to put him up front. The best they could do was indefinitely postpone the punishment. He hasn't served a day behind bars, has he?"

"No, not yet anyway."

"He entered a plea of guilty to an assault, and yet he was released on bail, wasn't he?"

"Yes, that is certainly irregular."

"Think now about everything I have told you about the police."

"He is being protected, then?"

"Most certainly. And those who are accusing him ... where are they?"

"A lot of them have been arrested. The man he assaulted is still in jail ...on false charges."

"Now, Rahim, do you think the new Chief Justice and the new Attorney General will discharge all these previous cases of malicious prosecution?"

"Maybe not, but let's wait and see. The arrests in Lunas are something of a test case. Let's see if there is any real prosecution, or whether they are released in the interests of justice. If they are tried, it may be possible to find out why their police reports haven't been acted on. And who was behind the bus operation. The involvement of the Election Commission may come out in a trial."

"Not a chance, Rahim, so long as there is no change in the administration. They are determined to hold on until the very last."

"And take the country down with them."

"No, Rahim, they are going to take the riches of the country away with them in a bag. All that will be left behind will be the bad debts and the bonds, and a currency that can not be defended."

"You think they are getting ready to run?"

"It looks that way to me."

"But where can they go."

"Lots of places. Myanmar, Indonesia, Argentina."

"But what about extradition?"

"Rahim, has Tommy Suharto served a day in jail?"

"Hmmm ... no."

"And does he still have all his money intact?"

"Yes, it seems so."

"OK, Rahim, I rest my case. Let's go drive our taxi's and try to make an honest living."

"Wait a minute, Pakman, I have another question?"

"What?"

"The opposition. The opposition leadership. Are they aware of the danger? Can they survive in these polluted waters? What do you think?"

"It depends, Rahim. If a monstrous crocodile invites you to his pond for lunch, do you politely decline, or do you accept, conditional on the menu?"

"I don't understand."