A number of factors are causing right thinking Malaysians to believe there is a law and order situation in the country and it is this perceived lawlessness that is now starting to become a thorny, tacky issue.

Leaving aside politicians of all stripes, the intervention of His Majesty the King and his brother Malay Rulers in the affairs of politics, the findings and disclosures of experts and non-governmental organisations all point to a nation in disarray.

This is precisely the reason why there must be control mechanisms in place to ensure the rakyat conform to the Rukun Negara principles and the laws of the country and learn not to take matters in their own hands by going out of control.

Mechanisms of control put in place by the government will ensure a large degree of conformity and compliance to the rule of law, which will witness the nation moving forward and growing by leaps and bounds as the control mechanisms bring about unity.

The idea of putting control mechanisms in place is not to deny the rights of the people, intrude on their privacy or not to tolerate contrarian views or dissent but to do these things by observing protocol and decorum and not to go out of control.

It is important for Malaysians to understand these control mechanisms work to promote fairplay, justice and meritocracy, and therefore empowers the rakyat, but there must also be the understanding that power is nothing without control.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE