Flipping through a copy of the first issue of The Star, I saw a small report about the United States’ economy being in trouble.

Well, 40 years later, not much has changed. The US has progressed well but its economy is in trouble again. President Barack Obama has just announced a strategy to create jobs for Americans.

When The Star first hit the streets, I was just 10 years old and a bit young to read newspapers. But it became a feature in my home as my family decided to switch to this breezy and racy tabloid.

With its screaming headlines and emphasis on crime and hot beauties, it became my daily staple when I reached Form 1 and was able to read the newspaper better.

I remember seeing some of my teachers sneering at the newspaper, preferring to be seen reading the broadsheets in the staff room. But I suspected that The Star was probably hidden within the broadsheet they were pretending to read.

Interestingly, most of the pictures of women in bikinis that appeared then would never make it into today’s Malaysian newspapers. It isn’t just the cleavage, as Home Ministry rules today state that photographs should not show navels and armpits. These, supposedly, could sexually arouse readers. You go figure it out.

Never mind if they can be seen on Astro’s MTV or other programmes, and even in sports channels which show women athletes wearing outfits that expose their armpits and navels.

In short, 40 years ago, Malaysians were more open-minded. They had fewer hang-ups and weren’t prone to pouncing on editors or burning their newspapers.

Some liquor advertisements featured in newspapers, and in at least one souvenir programme for a teachers’ gathering, would shock most people today. If they appear in similar format these days, we would be accused of racial and religious insensitivity.

But then those were the days when Parliament had a bar and cigarettes sold there had the Parliament logo on the boxes. These made for good souvenirs for visitors.

The Star has become a huge part of my life, more than I realise, in fact. I was born at the carpenters’ guild in China Street, just behind the former office in Penang.

The school I went to for my primary and secondary education, St Xavier’s Institution, was within walking distance of The Star’s office. Its first office in Weld Quay was also not too far away.

SXI eventually produced six group chief editors, including this writer, for The Star. The late Khor Cheang Kee, then editorial adviser, and Hng Hung Yong, one of my predecessors, interviewed me when I applied to join the paper in 1980 after I completed Form Six. Both were Xaverians, which greatly helped in the interview.

I left to continue my studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and rejoined as soon as I finished my final exam. Now, 27 years later, I am still with The Star, which has become a full-fledged multi-media organisation.

While the company is known as Star Publications (M) Bhd, it has gone beyond being just a newspaper. It has grown into a large group and also holds pole position for its news website and iPad downloads for news.

The 40 years have not been an easy journey. We have had our ups and downs. We have produced some of the best news – and bad ones too.

We are not perfect and we hope to do better. But we are truly proud to be part of Malaysian life and we intend to stay on. To our readers, thank you for sharing this journey with us.

This year, it is even more special: With divine intervention, National Day and Malay­sia Day will be celebrated together for the first time.

This has been made possible by the fact that with Hari Raya Aidil Fitri falling on the last two days of August, it would not have been practical to hold the national day parade on the 31st.

A dual celebration would bring even greater meaning. It would also emphasise the point that there would have been no Federation of Malaysia if Sabah and Sarawak had not helped to form it on Sept 16, 1963.

Let’s get it right, Sabah and Sarawak did not join Malaysia, they helped to make Malaysia a reality.

Many young Malaysians in the peninsula wonder why they have to bring along their identity cards or passports when they travel to these two states or, worse, why they need to apply for work permits if they wish to work there.

This is a case of our history being badly taught in schools. Until today, our students are not properly told why these two states are different when it comes to control over their immigration, and their state administrative systems.

In the peninsula, state leaders are known as state executive councillors. In Sabah and Sarawak, they are known as state ministers. Both states, however, are led by chief ministers.

In the administration of justice, the courts in Sabah and Sarawak are part of the Federal court system but the Federal Constitution provides that there shall be two High Courts of coordinate jurisdiction – the High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, formerly called the High Court in Borneo.

But the most important focus of this year’s joint celebration should be this reminder that Malaysia does not comprise only Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Let us drive this point that in Sarawak, there are 27 distinct indigenous groups speaking 45 different languages and dialects while Sabah has 32 officially recognised ethnic groups with over 80 languages and dialects. Despite the diversity, there is racial harmony.

In many ways, those of us in the peninsula have fared badly in the area of race relations, no thanks to self-appointed guardians of our communities and morality too, in some cases.

The people of Sabah and Sarawak do not have any hang-ups about race. Take, for example, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. A Kelabit from Sarawak, and a Christian, he has a Malay name. But this does not raise any eyebrow in the state. It is perfectly normal.

Another is Datuk Anthony Bujang, chief executive officer of the New Straits Times Bhd. He is a Malay from Sarawak but has a Christian first name. The accountant turned media boss’ name would not earn him any glance in his home state either.

It is well known that Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has no qualms about opening churches, and he does this even in the middle of election campaigns. He has openly declared that he studied the Bible in school and his family has donated money to churches.

No Malay leader in the peninsula, in his right mind, would have dared to make such a statement unless he wished to commit political suicide.

It is in these two states that the spirit of 1Malaysia truly lives.

It is a joy to see people of all races sitting down together and enjoying their coffee in the old kopi tiam in these two states.

We need to see each other as Malaysians and nothing more. We need to remove racial prejudices and ignorance if we are serious about being 1Malaysia. Let’s make it a reality and not just a slogan.

The Prime Minister, it appears, has served notice that a large part of his weekly schedule will be devoted to meeting the people and getting their feedback: that is, hitting the ground ahead of the elections.

It is unlikely that the polls would be called in November. The likelihood is that the earliest date would be in March.

There are those who like to think that polls have been fixed for Nov 11, 2011, simply because they believe that the number 11 is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s favourite. But this deduction has little political logic.

It has been reported that his schedule would soon be Monday to Friday in the office, Thursday for political work and Friday to Sunday on the ground.

The focus after the Hari Raya break will be to fine-tune his address on Sept 16; National Day celebrations on Aug 31 have now been moved to Malaysia Day instead.

His call for greater democratic space, including doing away with censorship laws and setting up a Parliamentary Select Committee to review electoral laws, is just a prelude to his address on Sept 16.

It is almost certain that he will expand on democratic reforms with an outline of the changes he wants to implement in Malaysia. It won’t be promises but changes that would be set out in black and white.

The fresh democratic reforms will surprise even his critics, particularly those who are pushing for a greater civil society.

In short, the new democracy that he wants to see would recognise the calls by Malaysians. It is the Middle Malaysia that he wants to address. He will say that yes, he hears these voices.

The next priority will be the Budget speech scheduled for Oct 7. The attention will be on affordable housing for low and middle income families and possibly even financial support for books and school transport.

Granted that this could be the last Budget before the elections, no one would be surprised if he tables a practical and yet balanced populist one aimed at winning votes. Given a chance, his political opponents would have done the same if there is a need to win popularity.

Obviously Najib needs to recognise that coping with the rising cost of living is the biggest concern of ordinary Malaysians.

People are worried about whether they will have enough to buy food, pay their mortgage, settle electricity bills, car loan instalments and children’s tuition fees and still have some left for savings.

His Budget speech, where he is expected to expand on his Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and the New Economic Model (NEM), will re-emphasise the point that he has an economic plan to develop Malaysia.

He will have this chance to convince the fence sitters and even those who dislike the Barisan Nasional that he should be given a chance to transform Malaysia.

After all, he has only been in office for about two years.

In short, he would challenge his opponents to show Malaysians what economic plans they have and, for that matter, who would be the Prime Minister if they form the next federal government.

Given the negative reaction towards the Government’s handling of Bersih 2.0, which has dented its image, Najib would want to seize back the political momentum.

So, enjoy the break while you still can because the political roller coaster ride is about to begin.

To all Muslim readers, I wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir batin.

Malaysians of all races, from the kampung to the new villages and cities to the longhouses, wanted so badly for him to win so that, for a while at least, the nation could come together. It would have been the perfect National Day gift.

It was so good to hear someone shouting loudly “Malaysia Boleh” as the pace of the game kept everyone quiet and on the edge of their seats. Certainly, all of us cheered along.

Race, religion and politics were discarded for an hour. If only we could do the same every day. If only we could see each other as fellow Malaysians all wanting to make Malaysia a better place. If only we all understand and accept that Malaysia is our home.

And how we wished that the Jalur Gemilang was the flag that was hoisted after the match that night. Then all of us could have stood up and sung the Negaraku. It would have been truly magnificent.

It was a case of being so near yet so far as Lin Dan staged a strong comeback, winning 20-22, 21-14 and 23-21. It was that close.

Chong Wei may have lost but he has nothing to feel ashamed of. He fought the fight of his life. His right foot was so badly blistered that when the match was over, it was covered with blood. But he did not moan about it. He put up a brave front and accepted his loss.

That’s what a champion should be like – magnanimous and humble in victory, dignified in defeat. We will support Chong Wei at his next fight.

As for how Lin Dan celebrated his victory, I believe most Malaysians would not want our heroes to rip off their shirts or jerseys in the frenzy of winning.

Speaking to reporters after his victory, Lin Dan said he wanted to “quickly end the game” because he wanted to “go sight-seeing in London, and shopping”.

“The match was going on too long and I wanted just to win it. Fortunately, I did not make as many mistakes as Chong Wei did,” he was quoted as saying.

I do not know the tone of his statement but his behaviour and his words certainly do not reflect well on him. To put it bluntly, he sounded cocky.

It’s a far cry from the days of the late Mao Zedong who preached about using sports for friendship and used it in the ping-pong diplomacy that paved the way for US President Richard Nixon to visit Beijing in 1972.

But sports now seems to be all about winning and sponsorship, which is fine except that sportsmen are role models. We cannot imagine Chinese schoolkids from Guangzhou to Inner Mongolia ripping off their T-shirts to show off their muscles after snatching the winning point.

Then there is the Malaysian football team, which almost created history by entering the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. But we were held 1-1 by Singapore during the return leg of the Asian Zone second round qualifiers.

No doubt Singapore was the better team but, at the risk of sounding like a sore loser, I do not think there is much honour in the victory for the island republic. The team was made up entirely of foreigners. Their best striker is a 41-year-old Bosnian, Aleksander Duric, and God knows how many years – if not months – he has left playing football for Singapore.

Duric has an incredible story. He was previously an Australian citizen playing for the Sydney Marconi team. If another country comes along offering him more money, would he give up his Singapore citizenship?

Really, can these naturalised citizens even sing Majulah Singapura and really understand the meaning of the lyrics? Surely there can be no real national pride when the players would not have Singapore in their hearts, as their minds would always be in Eastern Europe or Africa or China.

There’s really no difference between mercenaries at war and naturalised footballers. They are just hired hands. They would probably not be able to find their way out of Geylang or Katong if they cannot get taxis.

Every year, Selangor plays Singapore for the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup with both sides playing in alternate venues. Well, since these imports appeared, the Cup has remained solidly in the trophy room of the FAS. That’s the Football Association of Singapore, not Selangor.

It’s a farce really. There must be FIFA rules that require a naturalised player to be resident of a particular country for a specific number of years before he can play for that country. Such short cuts to success are unacceptable.

The situation cannot be compared to players in football clubs like those in the English Premier League (EPL) because they are there on a temporary basis. They also need to apply for work permits.

We agree that the EPL would not be as exciting if these foreigners were not playing, but they are not representing England.

Chong Wei, Harimau Malaya and, certainly, squash world champion Datuk Nicol David – you have all made Malaysians proud. You have our support and admiration.

Businessmen like Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes who have acquired football clubs Cardiff and Queen’s Park Rangers respectively also deserve kudos from all Malaysians.

Thank you for bringing Malaysians together!

For politicians, they do not have to submit their speeches in advance to the police and authorities.

In the case of concert promoters, they not only have to apply for a police permit since it’s a gathering of more than five people, they also have to submit a copy of the lyrics, translated into Bahasa Malaysia, of the songs to be performed by the artistes to the authorities.

Never mind if they are hip-hop songs or indie music, which might make little sense to the officials, but a Bahasa Malaysia translation still needs to be handed in.

There’s no exception. Whether it’s a drama or a musical, the procedure is the same.

God knows what they do with the scripts and lists of songs, but that’s the rule.

If concert promoters questioned the relevance, they would be told by the officials that they were merely doing their duty.

How and who set these stupid rules is still a wonder to most people.

Furthermore, organisers have to submit the diagram of the seat arrangements and pictures of the concert venue.

Fortunately, the job is easier now because such diagrams and photos can be downloaded from the websites.

Currently, the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry calls the shots. Its committee of officials can either make it easy for the promoters, businessmen who have invested millions to bring in their respective artistes, or make it a living hell that would bankrupt them.

The committee comprises representatives from the ministry, Home Ministry, Housing and Local Government Ministry, Tourism Malaysia, the police, Customs, Islamic Development Malaysia, Inland Revenue Board, Tourism Board Malaysia and City Hall.

Known as Puspal or the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes, it essentially vets the suitability of promoters who wish to bring in foreign artistes.

But that’s not all. Even if Puspal decides to be flexible, there is always the political factor. As long as you have the likes of PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, who opposes concerts on the grounds that there will be free mingling of men and women, there will always be a headache.

Even Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who is perceived to be a liberal, objected to the staging of the MTV World concert in his constituency recently.

And it’s not just PAS as even officials at federal government agencies have been difficult.

Tan Sri Syed Yusuf Syed Nasir, the man who brought in Michael Jackson for a two-night concert in 1996, lost RM1mil when his Rod Stewart concert was cancelled at the last minute by the authorities who said it was too near Merdeka celebrations.

In 2008, when Avril Lavigne performed in Kuala Lumpur, PAS staged a strong protest against it. But what was incredulous was that the then Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry agreed with the stand of PAS who cited the singer as being “sexy”. What’s wrong with these people? In the end, it had taken the intervention of the then prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to let the show go on.

There have been many other cases where help needed to be secured from the very top. Come on, surely prime ministers shouldn’t be dragged into such trivial matters.

But that, unfortunately, has been the case when bureaucrats get carried away in imposing their prejudices and jaundiced view of things. Flip-flop moves, indecisiveness, fickle-mindedness and incompetency have all turned show business, which involves huge capital, in Malaysia into a highly risky business.

Our reputation is so bad that international artistes like Beyonce have bypassed Malaysia. Lady Gaga performed in Singapore last month, but we know that will never ever happen here, not even in our dreams. Even in Indonesia, holding concerts is much easier. Super sexy Kylie Minogue performed there in June.

There is also a serious shortage of theatre halls in Kuala Lumpur.

Those under the jurisdiction of the Government, for example Istana Budaya, also have their restrictions and peculiarities which make some musicals a no-go.

We will just have to decide whether we want theatre, shows, musicals and concerts, which is part of any vibrant cosmopolitan international city, or just remain culturally-dead, failing to realise that when such events are staged, tourists from the region would converge here to spend their money.

Shakira will perform in Singapore next month. The irony is that she offered to perform in Kuala Lumpur and was ready to comply with the local requirements. But most local promoters were not ready to risk their millions of ringgit, fearful that the concert could be cancelled at the last minute by the authorities.

The problem here is that too many people want to make it their business when it comes to show business.

The church has claimed that they were having a goodwill dinner with a non-governmental organisation while the state exco member in charge of religious affairs, Datuk Hasan Ali, has backed Jais, claiming that they had evidence of proselytisation among Muslims.

His statement came just hours after his boss, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, had expressed regret and asked for a report from Jais.

Instead of passing the buck and being defensive, Khalid asked for a dialogue and admitted that Jais came under the state government and that they reported to the Selangor Islamic Council headed by PAS’ Hasan.

The operation was conducted by Jais, with police personnel present, after it purportedly received complaints that Muslims were present at the event.

We can expect the church and the Muslims present to maintain that there was no attempt to convert anyone while Jais would stick to its stand to justify its intrusion into the church.

Although the manner of the intrusion is not clear, the fact remains that Jais officials entered the premises without a search warrant. Furthermore, any place of worship is holy ground and such lack of respect and sensitivity does not augur well for the nation. It smacks of over-zealousness.

The Jais officials could have exercised restraint by waiting for the function to be over and then politely informing the church pastor of the complaint and the need for them to interview the Muslim guests present. No one, I believe, was going to run away.

We need to be more open-minded. Many of us attended Catholic missionary schools but never became Christians.

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has openly admitted that he studied Bible Knowledge during his school days, his family donated money to churches and, more recently, he even opened a church.

Our Royal Couple attended the church wedding of Prince William and Kate Middle­ton in April, as did many other Muslim heads of states and governments, mostly from the Commonwealth.

Our Prime Ministers have visited churches, sometimes entering the premises but not going inside the sanctuary, and they showed their respect for Malaysia’s pluralism by their presence.

A day after the operation, AIDS activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir tweeted that she has given talks about HIV/AIDS in churches and members have had no problem listening to her.

There seems to be this suspicion, whether imagined or otherwise, that there is an attempt by churches to convert Muslims.

Church leaders are fully aware that while the Federal Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, there is also a clause which clearly states that there should be no attempt to propagate to Muslims. If any church refuses to respect this law, then it should be prepared to face the legal consequences.

At the same time, we must strive to be progressive enough to appreciate that it is good to learn the religions of fellow Malaysians. We can argue about the superiority of one’s religion but it is good to be religious and God-fearing regardless of one’s belief.

If Malaysians claim to be so religiously sensitive themselves, upholding and defending their religions so passionately, we wouldn’t have to grapple with corruption, racism, hypocrisy and discrimination because no religion tolerates such immoral practices.

We also need to be more realistic. I have served in a Christian-run soup kitchen in Kuala Lumpur and seen that those in need include Muslims, many of whom are homeless, destitute, drug addicts and HIV-positive or have full-blown AIDS. They are looking for a place to clean themselves so they can maintain their dignity. And they look forward to a plate of hot curry and rice served by volunteers who welcome them. They enjoy having the volunteers listen to them, never mind that sometimes the helpers can’t do much.

The soup kitchen is a weekly event that lasts about an hour. Yes, there is a prayer, which Christians do before any meal, but the needy Muslims do not join in. They just wait for the food to be served and to be in good company where they are treated with respect.

Going by the logic – or illogic – of Hasan the PAS hardliner, will these poor Muslims have to be turned away by the soup kitchen helpers for fear that they would be accused of proselytisation?

Does it mean the St Nicholas Home for the Blind in Penang will have to reject Muslim students because it is Christian-based?

I studied Malay literature and Islamic History in Form Six and went on to enrol in the Malay Letters Department of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia where Islamic Civilisation was a compulsory subject. Some non-Muslim students grumbled about this requirement, citing subtle conversion, but I took it in stride and felt proud as I got to understand and appreciate Islam better. I didn’t convert.

Mosques, temples and churches are an integral part of Malaysia. We proudly promote them in our tourist brochures, so why are some people so fearful of these places of worship?

We know many Malaysian Muslims visit Rome and pop over to the Vatican when they do so, but they don’t become Christians.

Let’s fight to keep Malaysia moderate.

I am not sure if the uniforms are meant to symbolise single-mindedness or unity to meet some objectives or if it is just a need to use up the budget.

It’s understandable if these uniforms are meant to be used again and again but, unfortunately for taxpayers, they tend to be made specifically for one occasion.

In some cases, more money is spent to engage an event management company to stage a dramatic or theatrical launch which would probably last only 10 minutes.

Then there would be the customary presentation of a token of appreciation, which everyone seems to receive. Sometimes even the organiser himself gets a gift.

At one point, there was a suggestion that local fruits should replace the tacky pewter or metal plaque tokens but the idea never caught on. So, the VIP receives the memento which would most probably end up in a dusty corner of the office.

And in true Malaysian hospitality, refreshment is then served, and this sometimes ends with a buffet meal.

Even those arrested during the Bersih 2.0 demonstration recently were treated to a buffet. Only in Malaysia. Presumably, Malaysians expect a buffet during any event.

Most public functions start around 10am and end shortly before lunch, which means that after having our famous jamuan teh, we then all go for another round of food, this time lunch.

If the function begins at 3pm, it should end before 5pm with a jamuan teh. By the time we all get home, it’s already time for dinner.

And don’t forget the door gift which you receive with a “Thank you for coming and we hope to see you again soon” as you leave the hall. It has become so common that no civil servant would want to put a stop to such waste of money.

It isn’t just about money but also the loss of productivity as meetings have to be held to organise such functions. There would be endless hours chasing after the aide of a VIP to confirm his attendance and, of course, the entire staff of a ministry or agency would be held up as they have to make up the crowd.

I guess it will be difficult to convince our government officials to keep the functions simple and short. Form rather than substance seems to matter more, unfortunately.

It does not matter if it is a Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat event. Both seem to have the same mind-set and wastage.

So it came as no surprise when the Sultan of Selangor, known for his no-frills principle, snubbed a Yayasan Selangor event to commemorate its 40th anniversary last year. The bill for the celebration ran up to RM996,472 for the entire event, with RM387,232 allocated for lunch, which then had to be cancelled. Another RM200,000 was allocated for souvenirs and clothes. Uniforms, presumably.

Malaysians are sure such wastage is not just confined to Selangor but that it also occurs in other states, and the amount spent could be even more.

Not too long ago, when the issue of preventing wastage cropped up, there were suggestions that government agencies should stop holding their functions in expensive hotels. Well, the bad news is that lobbying from the hotels was so strong, the government finally dropped the idea altogether.

Many hotels were alarmed as their revenue would be hit if the local sector – meaning the government – did not hold their meetings and functions in their premises.

And what many civil servants will not tell us is that for such out-of-base, meaning out of their offices, seminars, retreats, brainstorming or whatever excuse for an event one can think up, allowances also need to be paid for those attending them.

We long for the day when politicians would just walk straight into the hall (why the need for a holding room?); a short opening remark is made by the host; the speech (not a lecture please); the VIP to declare the event opened without performing any gimmick; and for the VIP to then leave the place after the customary handshakes. Everyone should then just go back to work.

Just one gentle reminder to the VIP before we end this week’s column: Could you please be punctual for the function? We are busy people, too. And thank you so much for coming, it’s an honour, Yang Berhormat.

Prime Minister David Cameron, in cutting short his trip to Africa to call for a special meeting of the Commons, was grilled incessantly by the Opposition. But he took it all in stride.

Although he could not bring himself to apologise for hiring a former staff of News of the World, Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper which has been accused of carrying out illegal hacking into mobile phones, he carried himself well, showing his willingness to take on his opponents.

The Speaker moderated the proceedings with finesse and we were shown what the Westminster parliamentary system, which our own Dewan Rakyat is modelled after, is all about.

A day earlier, also shown live, we watched the parliamentary select committees in action.

Never mind if there were disagreements, even accusations of perjury at times, but everyone spoke in measured tones. Everyone went out of their way to ensure there was dignity and decorum – except for the moment when a failed comic attacked Murdoch with a foam pie.

Now we all know about his young wife Wendi Deng. Her left hook and swift intervention by a constable were sufficient to wrest the loony away. Not much fuss there, and no need for an Emergency Order, for sure.

Compare that with our Malaysian politicians. With a general election looming, possibly by next March, the posturing seems to have become louder.

Don’t look far. Just read the blogs, the political websites and the comments posted. Many of us seem to contradict ourselves. We call for a better political culture with intellectual discourse and debate over policies and issues, but we often degenerate into name calling.

Instead of reading an entire commentary to consider the salient points raised, some enjoy picking up a single sentence or even a word to tear apart the writer’s opinion. There’s nothing wrong with this except that it often ends up in a distasteful round of name calling and personal attacks.

Regardless of our political affiliations, it is hardly the political road that we want for Malaysia.

If you support the opposition, you risk being labelled a traitor, communist, socialist, Jew or at least remotely Jewish-linked.

On the other hand, if you back the government, or are simply being neutral, you are called a running dog, coward, corrupt or a spineless person and your next three generations will be duly cursed. Of course, you would also be labelled a traitor.

In Parliament, MPs are suddenly transformed into verbal monsters with childish tantrums who, as they lunge at each other, call others by animal names.

If we read the postings on blogs and tweets, we can see many shouting about transparency and accountability but most opt to remain anonymous even as they run down others as cowards. So who is the coward in the end?

Perhaps it’s the fault of our education system, or our lack of proficiency to speak or debate in more than one language, or simply our political culture. Being articulate is surely not our strong point.

Maybe we have become so angry and fed up with what is happening that we no longer wish to be polite. Or have we really lost our marbles and are therefore unable to rationalise? Is it no longer politically correct to be moderate or neutral with the frightening emergence of the “us” or “them” syndrome?

The partisanship is so strong that both sides expect the media to be excessively pro-government or openly slanted to the opposition. An objective and unbiased media, to some, even means being openly hostile to the government. That has become the fastest way to be popular, fortunately or unfortunately.

Even fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has found out, and lamented, that when he exposes scandals involving the government, he is a hero but when he does the same with the opposition, he is turned into a political pariah instantly.

If the government is regarded as being intolerant to dissent, the same attitude is also detected among the ranks of the opposition. In the fight for votes and power, the end seems to justify the means. Nothing is sacred.

So when we read about faked deaths in a recent demonstration, those who claimed to be righteous and demanded “truth and justice” can also become strangely silent. Malaysians do not know who and what to believe any more, what with new issues appearing one after the other.

There is too much contradiction and sacrificing of principles, all seemingly in the name of justice. Look at it carefully, however, and it is simply about the advancement of individual political careers and attempts to control Putrajaya.

The authorities have not been consistent. The police have stopped opposition ceramah, arrested those taking part in candlelight vigils and ridiculously nabbed politicians wearing yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih”.

On the other hand, it is open knowledge that the opposition holds ceramah almost every other day. The demand for a 21-day campaigning period does not seem to gel. In fact, the ceramah is supposed to be a closed-door affair if its definition is strictly enforced, but many of them have turned into rallies.

In short, the rules are not consistent. Make it clear and easy for all parties to apply to hold such talks. Let there be fairness. The political and media landscapes have changed but many of our civil servants and leaders are still stuck in a time warp, and seemingly indifferent to it.

So we have officials who black out parts of an article in The Economist when one can easily access it online, or put hurdles out to ban the Bahasa Malaysia Bible when all it takes is a simple click to print the entire version from the Internet.

But emotions and scoring points seem to have become the obsession of many Malaysians. Is it any wonder that one of the popular pastimes among Malaysians is playing the “Angry Birds” game on their mobiles and tablets?

Can we stop being angry people and try to make sense of the issues affecting the nation instead? Or better still, just laugh at them? It’s just the run-up to the silly season, as cynical reporters call it.

The two are not afraid to face angry crowds at meetings where people have heaped criticisms, made unreasonable demands and often vented their anger at the Government. The participants are often the urban middle class who are outspoken.

From MRT stations to transformation plans to key performance indicators, they have spoken about the grand plans for development that are being rolled out.

Generally, their explanations made sense to their listeners, but at times people became lost when they delved into the details. But there is one common feature at such town house meetings – the two are ready to listen to the public.

The people want to be heard and not be talked down to. This is what many of our politicians do not seem to realise.

If non-politicians like Mohd Nur Ismail and Idris are able to take the heat, there is no reason why some of our politicians should prefer the safer way by delivering speeches, often mundane and unimaginative ones, at the rostrums.

Both have set the standards by putting their views and also the input of the people on websites, and setting up toll-free lines for ideas and suggestions, in the case of SPAD. They also hold exhibitions to show the rakyat what they have.

Young Malaysians want to see their leaders with rolled-up sleeves on stage taking on questions relating to issues affecting their daily lives. They want to tell our leaders how they are coping with the increase in cost of living and how they have to sacrifice their sleep and leave their homes early to beat the increasingly bad traffic jams.

They want to talk about the need to provide more trains to take them home after work, how to make their neighbourhoods safe and about their children’s education.

How many of our leaders know the price of onions, chicken or chilli at the markets despite professing to represent the common people?

The rakyat will be sufficiently satisfied if our leaders can listen, respond with decent answers, come back to see them again and, if they screw up, to just have the decency to apologise and stop being defensive.

We are not interested in 100-storey buildings, stupid political quarrels, whether wives should be obedient to their husbands in bed or racist tirades from political dinosaurs like Datuk Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa.

The bread and butter issues matter most to Malaysians – nothing more, nothing less.

The trouble with most politicians is that once they hold the microphones, they cannot let go. But they had better learn to pass the microphones to their listeners more.

Young people have seen a dressed-down US President Barack Obama at meetings with the people. Never mind if the occasions are part of some clever public relations exercise, these are powerful visual messages.

Even the straight-laced Chinese leaders who don’t have to worry about elections also realise the need to be seen conducting such intimate meetings, where even the bodyguards know how to move away from the cameras. In both instances, new standards have been set.

Such images give these leaders a more caring and down-to-earth persona and project them as keen to listen, instead of being aloof or in a hurry and are only interested in a photo opportunity with aimless handshakes.

Young Malaysians, especially those whose jobs require them to make presentations to their clients to clinch business deals, have reasons to be critical when they listen to their leaders.

Many of our leaders, to these young professionals, fall way short of their expectations and the result is that they do not have respect for the leaders.

The young have become more outspoken, more articulate, and they demand greater democratic space.

Their world view is certainly very much in contrast to the older leaders. And if the latter equates the demand for greater democratic space with chaos and disloyalty to the country, then it would be a costly political error. Again, it would be another case of politicians not listening hard enough or even bothering to listen.

The country can also do away with certain pompous ministers who demand that their subordinates greet them at the airport. One or two are known to throw tantrums when they are not accorded such respect, and they insist that their staff spend an entire day moving around with them when they are making state visits. Moving around in an entourage seems to give them a sense of self importance.

Worse is to call for press conferences when they really have nothing new or anything sensible to say. Often, it is a case of talking for the sake of talking.

Malaysian taxpayers would also be very thankful if they could see an end to the elaborate dances and greetings for politicians at every function, and the 15-minute salutation to address the never ending list of Tan Sris, Datuk Seris, Datuks and Datins. What’s wrong with just “tuan-tuan dan puan-puan”? Can we just get to the point so we can all get back to our work, please?

Neither should we be paying for those huge billboards showing the faces of our leaders. There is no difference between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders when it comes to such ego trips.

The bottom line is the rakyat is the boss – it’s that simple. So, regardless of their political affiliations, our politicians had better start listening hard instead of just talking too hard.

Their supporters have the right to argue and convince others that it is their constitutional right to protest but, again, do not expect everyone to share their enthusiasm.

When jazz singer Datuk Sheila Majid tweeted: “I am disappointed with all political parties, NGOs and Bersih. There are better ways to approach,” she immediately received a nasty rebuke from a PKR activist who shot her down, saying he used to respect her. She probably lost a fan because of her tweet.

There are enough people who would like to tell them that their protest was illegal and that they should know this is basic law.

Protesters should know better that when you attend a demonstration, it is not going to be a picnic. One should expect to be arrested and hauled into a Black Maria, so let’s not kid ourselves into believing that the cops would give them a red carpet welcome.

Certainly, only a politically naive person, or someone in self-denial, would believe that Datuk S. Ambiga was acting on her own.

Yes, of course, it was not politically motivated. The opposition politicians just happened to be there. Yes, they just bumped into each other at KL Hilton.

In the case of the government, many are also shaking their heads at the authorities’ sledgehammer treatment of Bersih 2.0.

Just weeks ago, not many Malaysians knew who Ambiga was. Thanks to the over-excitement of the authorities, she has become an icon overnight.

And don’t blame Malaysians for being cynical over the claims that communist elements were involved in the rally. More so when those dreamer socialists were said to have T-shirts bearing the names of dead Commie leaders.

Suddenly, Che Guevera, whom many teenagers at Pertama Complex had all this while thought was Bob Marley, was declared dangerous and subversive.

Then there was the obsession with the colour yellow. By the way, there were enough Malaysians who actually believed the Digi Man was arrested by the police, although the e-mailed picture was doctored.

But it was a funny spoof, and I wish there were enough Malaysians with a sense of humour to laugh at the fat yellow man.

Arresting people who wear yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih” is not going to help the government win votes. Something is wrong with us if we believe revolutions can be launched by wearing yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih”.

One need not be a rocket scientist to know the political backlash of such an action, even though there may be good security measures.

And the police, trying too hard to be friendly, put on its Facebook pictures of those detained being served with a buffet meal. There were round tables covered with tablecloth. Not bad at all, man!

No wonder there are many people who think a protest in KL is really a stroll on a weekend.

And then there was Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The man is really comical. After driving enough people into a frenzy with his racist tirade, he decided to stay home. At one point, he claimed he could mobilise 15,000 people. As a face-saving gesture, he declared he would take “a stroll” at Tasik Titiwangsa. It must have been a pretty long stroll. He was probably walking around in circles.

And we can assume everyone would declare themselves winners. Bersih 2.0 will say that they managed to stage a protest despite the police locking down the city.

The authorities, too, will say that they won this round by claiming that the Bersih 2.0 crowd wasn’t as massive as they had expected.

Ibrahim Ali could also declare himself a winner as he could have successfully earned a place in the Malaysian Book of Records for taking the most number of strolls at Tasik Titiwangsa.

Umno Youth’s Patriots can also claim to be winners despite walking barely 200m before being tear-gassed and arrested.

There was another record – Anwar could still post a tweet at 4.40pm that says “undergoing CT scan for injury. Wishing #Bersih all the best.”

How he could take his mobile phone into a CT scan machine is a wonder. The Opposition leader had purportedly fallen during the protest.

Either Malaysians must be very bad in Maths or they are very good at exaggerating. The police said there were only 5,000 protesters whereas Datuk A. Samad Said said 50,000 while the pro-opposition Malaysia Chronicle news portal claimed 100,000 people.

The silat exponents turned out to be a lot of hot air in the end.

The biggest losers were the public who got stuck in horrendous traffic jams. Businesses can count their losses, vendors could not distribute their newspapers, commuters found at least eight LRT stations shut, the city’s cabbies had to stay at home and, worse, terrified city dwellers had to stock up on food unnecessarily.

And taxpayers must certainly be wondering why their money is being spent on bringing so many cops into the city – and serving a buffet meal to law-breakers at Pulapol – when they should be busy catching criminals.

It must be brought to mind that not everyone who supports Bersih 2.0 are pro-opposition. Many middle class urban voters are unhappy about many issues and it won’t hurt the government to listen to them. Don’t give up on them so they won’t give up on the government. Some concerns are legitimate ones that need fixing.

Likewise, Pakatan Rakyat should not misread today’s rally as an endorsement of the Opposition.