Exile: RK Anand’s analogy between Baltimore and Kuala Lumpur is an important one that needed articulation. Both raise fundamental questions about the abuse of authority, institutional impunity, and the failure of accountability.

The deeper problem lies in the absence of a moral compass when developmental authoritarianism becomes the prevailing social contract.

The badge, the uniform, and the gun become symbols of authority seemingly beyond independent inquiry. Loyalty to the institution takes precedence over accountability to the rakyat, while obedience is mistaken for justice.

Yet there is hope, and perhaps it lies not in Baltimore but in the most unlikely of places: Serbia. The emergence of the student‑led movement and its “Student Lists” offers an alternative political imagination - one in which young citizens challenge entrenched authority through collective organisation, democratic participation, and demands for accountability.