Elected reps make the decisions

I REFER to the news that 77 NGOs had demanded "a public apology and sincere expression of remorse from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for depriving so many innocent Malaysians of their freedom, and for the torture they went through during Operasi Lalang.
It was amusing to read the former prime minister's response that the many arrests and the closure of three newspapers "was purely a police decision" and that "he had little choice but to go along with it".
His defence is akin to a doctor saying that although the nurse in the clinic gave wrong medicine he went along with it as he had little choice.
In a democratic set-up like in our country it is the people's representatives who are the decision makers and not the civil servants. The police are not elected by the people but the home minister and prime minister are. The role of the police is valuable no doubt but purely advisory and not final.
Mahathir must be reminded that if as home minister he did not sign the detention orders there would have been no imprisonment under the ISA. Is he trying to tell us that the police forced him to sign the orders? He cannot now try to wriggle his way out of the responsibility by passing the buck to the police.
If by his reasoning the police decision was obligatory then what is the point in having a home minister? We might as well abolish the Home Ministry and cut costs. Let police decisions be final and binding.
Dr A. Soorian
Seremban