We can dismiss or challenge the index, including the criteria used, but it would not help Malaysia. It will be better if we do something about it to improve our standing in the international community.

Malaysia still has a chance to get things right. On the forefront of the campaign against corruption is the Prime Minister but he alone cannot eliminate or reduce graft overnight. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has kept the momentum going and has attempted to introduce a new culture of national integrity but all this takes time.

All the efforts including the setting up of a National Integrity Institute and the launching of a National Integrity Plan have the support of all Malaysians but the time has come for a strong push.

Pak Lah's efforts must not be allowed to go to waste. Corruption must be regarded as a criminal act and nothing less. If not, corruption will be regarded as a way of life and a norm.

But Malaysia may come to that point if we are not careful. According to a survey carried out among hawkers and stall operators by the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity, the respondents viewed corruption among local councils as a "very serious" problem.

Unfortunately, the victims of bribery also said that corruption was a norm, with 17% of the respondents saying that giving bribes was acceptable to ensure their business could operate smoothly.

Pak Lah has taken the right move by insisting that the delivery system must be simple and effective. That means doing away with regulations or, at least, simplifying them, to prevent corruption. More transactions with the Government should be done online to cut red tape and corruption.

The media must continue to expose corruption, with prominence given to civil servants and politicians charged with corruption. That's not all – their titles should be automatically revoked when they have been sentenced.

I can detect the frustration of many Malaysians, especially businessmen, who believe that individual Malaysians cannot do anything to effect change. There is growing pessimism and the perception that corruption has become so entrenched in some areas that it can no longer be fought.

For example, despite the prominence given by the media to the blatant practice of restaurants placing tables and chairs along roadsides, many municipal councils have ignored the media outcry. In short, the media can shout but the status quo remains.

Some Malaysians believe that it does not pay to stand on principle and feel that it is acceptable for a low-ranking government officer to take a small bribe since the bigger fish are doing it and getting away with it.

Despite such a dampening mood, there is certainly greater public awareness but unless the proper mechanism is put in place, all the good intentions of the leadership will go to waste. Worse, its sincerity will be questioned because of the rising expectations.

Unless the Anti-Corruption Agency is made independent, and not just another government department, its effectiveness will be limited and even compromised. Our ACA deserves to be given the kind of autonomy like that of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong, which drew much objection from police officers when it was set up.

There is also a need to introduce laws to protect whistle-blowers if we want the public to come forward to testify against the corrupt. There should be no fear of reprisals once such laws are in place.

Steps should also be made by the ACA, with the support of the National Integrity Institute, to make it more accessible to the public to lodge reports against those who take bribes.

In Hong Kong, the ICAC have offices near market places and even shopping areas to enable the public to interact with them. The public can just walk into these offices to voice their grievances.

Fighting corruption should be regarded as community work. Let's join hands with Pak Lah to fight graft.

"It's the question time I am worried. The public can vote you out every five
years but the backbenchers can get you out by the end of the week," said the
panicky politician to his wife Annie in one episode.

"It's the question time I am worried. The public can vote
you out every five years but the backbenchers can get you out by the end of the
week," said the panicky politician to his wife Annie in one episode.

by Najib, although the Deputy Prime Minister has downplayed this
sportingly.

In August, she did not turn up for a Cabinet meeting where she was supposed to
explain the AP issue, saying she was sick and needed treatment for a knee
problem.

On Wednesday, Rafidah was again absent from the Cabinet meeting chaired by
Najib, This time, she is away in the United
States on a trade mission.

She should have turned up at the Dewan Rakyat to face the MPs, who are the
people's representatives, and to clear whatever doubts they might have.

While the minister could have been on an important mission for Malaysia
but the Dewan Rakyat is the most important forum.
Like Pak Lah, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other Malaysian
leaders also watched the long-running political satire.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz had obviously
not taken seriously the one-hour allocation for questions and answers when the
Dewan Rakyat sat from Monday to Thursday.

On Thursday, there were resentment and anger from fellow Cabinet members and
Barisan Nasional backbenchers when she did not attend the sitting to reply to
the MPs on the controversial Approved Permit (AP) issue to import cars.

It did not help that she decided to reveal the names of MPs who had received
APs, with the elected representatives saying it was a move to arm-twist them
into not speaking up on the issue.

As far as the MPs were concerned, she should have been there to face them but
rightly or wrongly, she chose to snub them.

They told the press in no uncertain terms how they felt, and certainly did not
care if she was away on a trade mission.

Her absence could well be a turning point in her political career, with many
now saying that her Cabinet position was untenable and that her holding to her
position stubbornly would only hurt the Government.

Just a few months ago, she was heckled and booed by Umno members at the party
general assembly over the AP controversy.

If that was not enough, she also ended up having an exchange of words, to put
it mildly, with some of her fellow Cabinet members.

One news report had it that she sniped at a minister who was smiling when the
hot topic was brought up while another colleague was reportedly told to take
care of his ministry first.

Her colleagues described her as "combative", "confrontational" and "abrasive"
and one minister reportedly said the longest serving Miti minister was
dismissive of anyone who disagreed with her.

At the core of the controversy are the unanswered questions on the huge
allocation of APs to a few individuals.

Of the 67,000 APs issued this year, more than 28,000 went to Tan Sri Nasimuddin
SM Amin, Datuk Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Datuk Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz and Datuk
Azzuddin Ahmad.

The ministers felt Rafidah had not replied to several crucial issues on which
they wanted answers.

To put it bluntly, her integrity as a minister has been questioned at all
levels and now, MPs from both sides of the benches, have spoken up openly
against her with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri
Abdul Aziz slamming her for not turning up to field questions on the AP
issue.

On Thursday, the Opposition attempted to refer her to the parliamentary
privileges committee but what was astounding was the silence of government
backbenchers when the DAP motion was rejected by Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah
Talib.

The usual table thumping to signify approval was missing, a point certainly
noted by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who attended the
morning session on Thursday.

They were obviously incensed that the names of MPs who received APs were
revealed without an explanation.

MPs and senators are entitled to an AP once in their lifetime as part of their
perks.

An irate Nazri told reporters that the AP issued to each MP and senator was not
meant for them to resell for financial gain but for their own individual
use.

He said what probably raised the hackles of the MPs most was that Rafidah's
name was not on the list.

In fairness to Rafidah, it was a question from Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang
and she was merely providing a written reply.

The public are actually interested in knowing which MPs have enjoyed such a
perk but it would mean a lot to these elected representatives if her ministry
took the trouble to explain it was only a one-off thing.

But there is now a new dimension to the issue – Rafidah has stayed away from
two Cabinet meetings chaired
The perception now is that she had run away from the MPs or she had decided to
ignore them. Either way, it's bad for her image and reputation. The Government
needs to move away from the AP issue.

Despite the setting up of a committee, headed by the Prime Minister, to review
and decide on all issues related to APs, the issue has not gone away.

It has taken up too much of government time and attention.

Rafidah has got herself into a corner because of her own doing. Worse, while
she has put the Government in a tight spot she may have put her Cabinet job on
the line now.

Fact number three is that Judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Musa,
in his 49-page judgment, found there was not too much evidence adduced against
all three or for their defence to be called.

He has correctly pointed out that there were unresolved doubts and unanswered
questions in the prosecution's case.

The judgment has not gone down well with most Malaysians and many are outraged,
but a judge has made his decision on evidence available.

That is how the law operates and a judge must not be swayed by public
sentiments or prejudices.

If there is anyone to blame, then it must be the police and the
prosecution.

As the judge noted, the prosecution hurt its own case by failing to call a
certain Insp Moin.

That was not all, Koh's driver Mohd Razbean Md Tab, a key witness, has gone
missing. That does not speak well of the police at all.

Another key witness, Fang Sui Jing, said to be a girlfriend of Koh, has been
deported to China and even the date of her deportation is unknown.

The Chinese national, who was serving a 10-month sentence in Kajang prison for
overstaying, was a key witness and yet no attempt was made to keep her until
the case was over.

Investigating officer Asst Supt Nor Omar Sapi admitted that he did not make any
formal request to the Kajang prison for Fang to be handed over to the
police.

Malaysians are left grappling with questions like how a murdered boy could end
up in the swimming pool of a heavily guarded bungalow with 23 injury
marks.

These are questions the prosecution failed to answer and we are not sure if
they will ever be.

But Malaysians, concerned with the increasing crime rate, are upset that the
prosecution and police have failed to resolve a series of high profile murder
cases.

The public would like to think that our police are efficient and they have
proven able to live up to our expectations when it comes to serious
crime.

But when our defenders of public order keep losing their cases, especially
murders, then Malaysian taxpayers have a right to ask what they are
doing.

What are our investigators and prosecutors doing when they keep losing in the
courts?

When judges throw out their cases, it just means that the prosecution has
failed to produce sufficient evidence. That's how the legal system works.

Our hearts go to the family of Xu in China who had hoped that their child would
get a decent education in Malaysia and grow up to be somebody they can be proud
of.

Instead he was murdered and, worse, we cannot even find his murderer or
murderers. It's a murder most foul.

The increasing cost of living is the number one topic among Malaysians. They do not care about politicians trying to rewrite Malaysian history or squabbling politicians fighting to protect their positions in the name of serving the community.

It was thus refreshing to read about the Prime Minister's immediate decision to decide that there would be no petrol, diesel and cooking gas price increase at least until the end of the year. That's fair enough.

The other decisions were road tax reductions of up to 80% from Sept 12, no toll increase for this year and next, as well as increased aid for senior citizens, the poor, and disadvantaged children.

These steps will in many ways help ease the public's burden brought on by escalating prices of consumer goods. The Consumer Price Index, which indicates the price variables, rose 2.8% during the first six months of this year. The increase would certainly have affected the purchasing power of consumers.

For the average Malaysian worker, his salary does not stretch that far these days. Apart from the usual deductions – EPF, Socso and income tax – there are also the usual bills to pay. Those with schoolgoing children also have to pay more for transportation, food and even tuition fees.

In Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru, probably the country's two most expensive cities, it is tough for someone earning RM2,000 to make ends meet.

Many of us eat at coffee shops or food courts in shopping malls, and not at upmarket eateries in Bangsar. But the prices of our kopi kau and mee goreng have gone up too.

We are told that we should shop at reject shops or the pasar malam to get the best bargain, but the fact is that's where most Malaysians do their shopping even before inflationary times. The Louis Vuitton bag is from Jalan Petaling, by the way, and not from Paris.

In the midst of these price increases, it has become fashionable to blame the retailer, the wholesaler and sometimes the consumer for the inflationary trend.

While there would be errant ones who take advantage of the situation, it would be wrong to see them as the primary causes.

There have been statements by some politicians asking hawkers or traders to absorb the increasing costs of their items. That seems illogical as they are in business to make money.

Like it or not, they have to pass it to their consumers or simply sell us a smaller portion of the char koay teow.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's emphasis on agriculture since he took over the leadership would probably receive more urgent attention now. He is right that domestic food production must be accorded priority to cut down on our food import bill.

Buying imported foodstuff leads to outflow of the ringgit and with the hike in oil prices, naturally we have to pay more. Greater emphasis on local food production would help us reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers.

The PM is also right in saying no to prestige projects so as to reduce public sector expenditure. Expensive non-functioning projects which only benefit the developers and contractors are certainly not necessary.

For example, one state has committed a huge amount of money to build a state assembly complex, which does not meet that often. It is mind-boggling.

Meanwhile, the government should enhance enforcement to curb profiteering and hoarding.

We do not know whether oil prices will keep going up but the government, with the support of the media, certainly needs to regularly explain why the oil subsidy has to go.

It is not an easy job but the cut is necessary as over RM1bil has been literally pumped away, at the expense of Malaysian taxpayers.

In 2003, taxpayers had to bear subsidies for oil products amounting to RM6.6bil and last year, the subsidies shot up to RM11.9bil. This year, it is expected to reach RM16bil. At this rate, it is just not possible to continue.

Pak Lah has taken the initiative of providing Malaysians some early relief and we certainly look forward to his Budget speech on Sept 30, which is just weeks away.

Singapore Airlines, it pointed out, made an operating profit of US$153mil in the last quarter despite rising fuel costs. The SIA managers were told the airline enjoyed no special protection and had to sink or swim in a highly competitive market.

More pertinent, the article stated, its staff, management and crew were drawn from all over the world and "what was Singaporean about it was the way the airline was managed".

It would not be accurate for anyone to compare Malaysia Airlines with SIA. SIA has no unprofitable routes to worry about in the name of national service and can focus its attention on foreign routes.

Neither does SIA bother about flying to unpopular destinations in South America and Africa to promote South-South cooperation. In fact, Singapore does not have that many embassies in developing countries.

MAS executives are also trying to understand why a decision was made to fly to Ipoh, which is less than two hours away by road. The drive from Kuala Lumpur to the KL International Airport alone would probably take at least 40 minutes.

MAS became national news recently for the wrong reasons when it posted a net loss of RM280mil and the man who had to face the firing squad, to put it figuratively, was its managing director Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan.

It has been reported that while  fuel costs were up almost RM1bil, the other contributing factors were in-flight meals (up RM35mil) and consultancy fees (RM31mil).

Instead of understanding the flaws behind MAS and to rectify them, we have now gone on to debate whether a foreigner should be allowed to head the national carrier.

Umno Youth head Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the appointment of a foreigner to lead the nationally-owned company could be likened to allowing Malaysia to be re-colonised, albeit in a new manner.

He urged Malaysians not to look at such an appointment "purely from the commercial aspect but (we) should look at it in the bigger agenda, that is the Malay agenda".

Hishammuddin said MAS had to give reasons why Malays or Malaysians were not qualified, adding that present-day imperialism was perpetrated not only through the use of weapons but also through the mind, culture and economy.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad responded, in a cynical way, saying "perhaps all the national companies should be allowed to be run by foreigners. Then I think we should have a different definition of a national."

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he did not think Malaysians were incapable of heading MAS, saying he would leave the decision to MAS.

Malaysians would probably have reasons to be wary of a foreigner but more important is that MAS must not be allowed to continue bleeding. It makes no sense if a Malaysian is incapable of running the airline effectively, competitively and with integrity.

The priority for MAS now is to find a capable CEO who can help make the airline profitable again. The nationality, race or gender should not be an issue.

Numerous companies including car makers are being managed by foreigners. The Japanese, who have a hard reputation against foreigners, have even accepted a foreigner to run Nissan.

At home, we openly accept foreigners to manage our hotels because we have grown accustomed to it. Malaysians own these hotels but foreigners manage them because they are good, it's as simple as that.

So if a foreigner CEO can do the job, so be it. Likewise, if a non-Malay can help turn a debt-laden government-linked company around, there is no reason why the CEO must be a Malay.

But even the most qualified CEO, regardless of his nationality, race or gender won't be able to do the job if he is not left alone to work on it. Political interference is enough to kill any enthusiasm, let alone ambitious plans.

MAS has a bad reputation of being over-staffed and no CEO has been brave enough to trim it down, fearing a labour backlash. But the fact is that it is bloated and the management has to do something about it.

That is not all. Newcomer Air Asia recently trumpeted its performance with the announcement that it had achieved a net profit of RM111.8mil for its last financial year "despite battling spiralling jet fuel prices, SARS, bird flu and other adverse circumstances".

But Malaysians love our national airline. Even as we grumble about its services, deep in our hearts, we know that it is a great airline and anyone who has flown on European airlines can tell the difference.

We long for smiles from our MAS stewardesses and the hot nasi lemak after weeks overseas. We know we can only get these from MAS and certainly it has brand loyalty.

MAS should just get its act together and the last thing it should worry about is Air Asia. As its media-savvy CEO Datuk Tony Fernandes told a forum recently, "bus companies should be more worried about Air Asia than MAS" with its low fares.

Let us be realistic – nationalism has no meaning if we remain losers and are incapable of competing effectively in the global market.