For average Malaysians who are mostly wage earners, the decision to abolish examination fees for the UPSR, PMR, SPM and STPM in government schools effective next year is surely helpful. 

So is the decision to provide scholarships for tertiary education to students with 10A1s in the SPM from families with an income of RM1,500 and below, regardless of race, although a slightly higher figure would be more realistic. It is also equally important that they get admitted into universities.  

For many middle-class Malaysians, we are grateful to Pak Lah for his move to increase the tax relief for the purchase of books from RM700 to RM1,000 a year. So too the decision to change the tax rebate of RM500 once in five years for the purchase of computers to a RM3,000 relief once in three years. 

Certainly the two months' bonus for civil servants earning up to RM750 a month is well deserved. This extra money will help them cope with the daily difficulties of inflation. The coming Hari Raya celebrations will be a lot happier. 

More than ever, Malaysia needs policies which emphasise on needs rather than race, if we are to make this country a truly united one. We must never forget that just as there are many rich Malays and non-Malays, there are also many poor Malays and non-Malays. 

The abolishment of examination fees and tax rebates for essential items will help the majority of us Malaysians who depend on our monthly salaries to pay our bills. Certainly, the vast majority of us do not control the economy but merely struggle to cope with the shrinking ringgit and the increasing cost of living. 

That is the real Malaysia. We wish there are more politicians like Pak Lah who speak the language of peace and unity at a time when many of us view with concern the deteriorating spirit of tolerance from an ethnic and religious perspective.  

This is not helped by minorities – whether as individuals or groups – who seem to be able to push their agendas. These are the people who only see the superior aspect of their race and religious concerns, not realising that such an approach would not help to cement peace and unity but only widen unnecessary gaps in the long run for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation like ours.  

It is not good enough for politicians to make speeches calling on Malaysians to be united, to stop making racially offensive remarks or to stay away from religious debates. We have heard all these before, each time a politician made a silly racist remark that upset the other communities. 

Such advice, particularly from the Prime Minister, may have some impact on reducing rising political tension but the reality is that we all have to work on national unity.  

Malaysia won't be a united society if we just talk about it. National unity cannot be achieved by putting up flags, reciting poems, spending millions in National Service camps and riding big bikes nationwide. 

If Malaysia is to have a future, we must succeed in making Malaysia truly united because there is no other way for all of us. Sweeping our problems, which we have acknowledged, under the carpet can reduce rising political tension but the root cause of the problems will remain.  

Many brave and lofty words have been made about national unity but, unfortunately, performance does not seem to match promises. National unity, it seems, is merely a slogan to be used once a year during National Day. 

Not many of us would publicly admit that the National Day spirit has been dampened. But for many, the racial remarks made by certain politicians in the run-up to this year's Merdeka celebrations have made the event somewhat sombre. 

Still, we have to rise above this hiccup. Malaysians must continue to espouse on our common values rather than to harp on our differences and to be wary of selfish politicians who attempt to instil racial fears, often imagined ones, on us. 

Through policies and actions, our leaders need to make all of us feel as one country and one people. Our founding fathers, realising that independence could only be achieved through the cooperation of the main races, toiled over the Constitution. 

There are at least 20 articles in our Constitution spelling out the fundamental liberties guaranteed to every citizen. No one should be made to feel insecure in any manner. 

They worked hard to ensure that every Malaysian would have a rightful place in this country. No matter whether our ancestors came from Indonesia, China, India or West Asia, Tunku Abdul Rahman made everyone comfortable and wanted here. 

Negotiations over policies were conducted with honesty, sensitivity and respect for one another. Certainly, no threat, whether subtle or otherwise, was necessary. It was easier then, perhaps, because the Alliance was much smaller and the leaders spent much time socially together. 

But 49 years later, race relations has become an issue. Some of us are pessimistic because we sense a lack of commitment, particularly among some powerful figures, on the need to cultivate and reaffirm our common values. 

While many seem ready to condemn others of communalism, not many of us are willing to express the same sentiments with the same vigour, if it involves politicians of our ethnic group.  

The question to be asked, especially to our political and religious elite, is when will we be ready to stop using race or religion as an issue to further narrow ends. When will orang kita really mean Rakyat Malaysia?  

When will our elites, some with economic and political interests, stop using race to justify economic or education policies, which have kept Malaysians apart?  

When will we be politically brave enough to abolish the need for Malaysians to state their race and religion when they fill up forms without the flimsy excuse that this information is for statistical reasons? 

Much more than ever, Malaysia needs the voices of people with a truly non-communal and universal outlook who advocate the importance of common values and virtues. Sadly, some young upstarts prefer the jaded formula of using race to climb the hierarchy. 

A simple decision by Pak Lah in his Budget, such as the introduction of Chinese and Tamil languages in some national schools, is certainly a big step towards national unity.  

But it should not be merely to attract more Chinese and Indian students to national schools; it is about allowing young Malaysians to learn our languages and make them more marketable and competitive. It should be looked at that way.

Our National Day is a testimony of how three main races came together for a common cause. It is about achieving independence without shedding a drop of blood, unlike in other countries.

On Feb 9, 1957, Tunku Abdul Rahman spoke over Radio Malaya to appeal for funds. He wanted RM1mil for the celebration, a grand sum then, because the occasion needed to be celebrated fittingly.

The money, he said, would not only be used to upgrade roads, buildings and to entertain foreign guests but also to feed the poor at mosques, churches, temples and at the homes of the old and destitute.

He made it a point to mention the places of worship of all three religions. That is the mark of a true Malaysian leader. One may even say that it is a rarity these days for some of our politicians to even see beyond their own faith and ethnicity.

For the Tunku, Malaysia was a celebration of all races. He never forgot that and he made it a point to always remind the people that this was a country for all of us. That is what a great Malaysian leader should be.

The Tunku was not the smartest of Malaysian politicians and he made it known that he had to struggle to pass his Bar exams in London. But he never succumbed to the temptation of playing the racial card to be popular with the Malays.

In that radio address, the Tunku told his listeners that independence was won by "the spontaneous support of all communities in this country – Malays, Chinese, Indians and others who regard Malaya as their home". And certainly he never questioned the loyalty of non-Malays or to even remotely suggest that they were immigrant races. 

This is what our National Day is all about – a reminder to Malaysians, especially the younger ones, that a nation was born because the three main ethnic groups could work together. 

The doomsayers did not give us much of a chance then, predicting that our country would break up when natives fight each other once the British leave. But we will turn 49 years old next week.

We have absolutely every reason to feel proud. We should never be distracted, even if we are sometimes hurt by the remarks of one or two politicians who want to climb the political hierarchy by creating imaginary racial enemies.

Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Aziz Shamsuddin, for example, aptly reminded Malaysians that all of us should refrain from making remarks that can hurt others. It is a sensible piece of advice from a senior politician.

Seasoned politicians will realise that to win an election, a candidate needs the support of all races. Even in a constituency with a predominant race, it is the minority that would swing the victory. 

In short, a politician must not make the silly mistake of seeing himself as the hero of a community. He has to represent the aspirations of all races. As Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, even if he is a Malay leader, he is also a Malaysian leader.

Making others out to be the bogeyman is an outdated political tactic. In the past, the opposition used race and religion to incite hatred to gain votes but even these parties have realised that voters are not so easily duped, even if the nation still needs to work harder on race relations.

Barisan Nasional, and previously the Alliance, has a time-tested record of working together. Certainly, no one party has taken advantage of the other.

They have given each other support, even at the expense of losing political support, because the three parties believed in long-term relations. They have stood against many challenges and they continue to do so.

But that is not all. Greater efforts must be made to instil the Malaysian consciousness. The realisation of the sacred positions of Islam and the Malay language is imperative, just as there is a need to appreciate the positive implications of a multi-racial society. Certainly, multiculturalism is not a dirty word. 

Given the communal-based structure of our political system, we hope our community leaders will bridge this gap and work towards Malaysian consciousness if we want to see true national unity.

We can never run away from the fact that in a plural society, there will always be differences. But in a competitive, borderless world, our politicians need to change their mindset of still seeing the economy through coloured lens.

The world outside is our competitors. Our rivals are in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and India. Certainly, it is not Ahmad, Ah Chong and Muthu who should work together as the Malaysian team.

Why are our politicians still talking along racial lines, even as they realise that banks need to be merged to face stiff outside competition and that trading rules will eventually change? 

How should we position ourselves to make Malaysia more attractive to investors when there are plenty of options for foreign funds in this region?

If we are serious about ethnic relations, we certainly must never forget that Merdeka is a celebration of all races working together. When was the last time we heard this line from our leaders?

On the eve of the first National Day, at the Alliance rally in Kuala Lumpur, the Tunku told the crowd: "To the members of my party, the Alliance, Umno, MCA and MIC, I say thank you one and all for having gone through together all the difficult stages of our journey.

"At no moment have you faulted or wavered or lost faith in our cause. We have had anxious moments, which might have taxed the courage. I can never thank you enough for the patience, courage, understanding and unswerving loyalty which you have shown me and which has enabled us to come to the end of our journey together."

And certainly, for all Malaysians irrespective of their race, religion and culture, we will continue to travel the road together. This is our country; there is no other country. 

Rather than stick to a conventional but financially safe approach, Sheila and Tiara Jacquelina have adopted innovative but risky steps to make themselves different and thus make Malaysians sit up and notice them. 

Sheila is known for her classy, jazzy genre while Tiara Jacquelina has created history – Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical has enjoyed a successful encore season. 

It is a record in the making for Malaysian theatre to have a second season after the first one; and more so when every night has been sold-out. 

The principal cast has remained the same with Tiara Jacquelina as the gutsy Puteri and Stephen Rahman Hughes as Hang Tuah, the warrior. 

Like the first season, the organisers have noticed that at least 30% of the audience have consistently been non-Malays. 

There are many who watched the movie – and also both runs of the musical – and have not become tired of this RM1.8mil production. It has already set the record for being the longest-running local musical. 

Everyone loves a love story. This one is about forbidden love between Hang Tuah and the mystical princess Gusti Raden Ajeng Retino Damilah. 

When the princess rejected the advances of Sultan Mahmud, she was banished to Gunung Ledang, or Mount Ophir as it is sometimes called. 

As a way of saying no to him, she insisted that she would marry the Sultan only if he built a golden bridge and a silver bridge linking her mountain to his palace. He was also to send her seven trays of mosquito hearts, seven jars of virgins' tears as well as a bowl containing the blood of the Sultan's son. 

The story goes, until today, that the spirit of the princess continues to roam the mountain in Johor. 

But the musical is a truly Malaysian work. The creative team comprises talents like Roslan Aziz, Zahim Albakri, Saw Teong Him and Mac Chan while the musicians are equally multi-racial with names like Jason Voo, Abdul Malek Kanasabathy, Eric Lee, Pearly Ng and Mohd Rizad Mohd Kasim. 

More than 30,000 people watched the first season, and this season's run attracted another 26,000 people. But all are predominantly from the Klang Valley. 

It is a shame because the musical deserves a bigger audience. People, especially those in Penang and Johor Baru, would love to watch it but there are simply no theatres with good acoustic and lighting systems in those cities.  

But Singapore always recognises a good thing when it sees one. While we debate whether we should extend the business hours of clubs in Kuala Lumpur to cater to tourists, we are not even thinking of securing government backing for musicals. 

Singapore is doing just that. They carry out massive publicity campaigns on their world-class theatre shows and concerts but in Malaysia, it is just a private venture. Unless you have deep pockets or you have sponsorship from mobile phone companies, you are entering a risky business. 

Which businessman would want to put a multi-million ringgit deal for a night's concert where you can run foul of the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry for even the slightest flaw? 

Well, a 20-man delegation watched PGL: The Musical last week, approached the organisers, and insisted on signing the papers on the spot. There was no need for the series of endless meetings that we are famous for. 

So, PGL: The Musical will soon be performed at the Esplanade in Singapore. This is the sad part. Many Malaysians still haven't watched the musical and are still sceptical when told that it is of West End standard. 

They find it hard to believe – after all it is only a local production – and in any case, we can find millions of ringgit to build a sports training centre in Britain but we will never put money to build good theatres. 

Malaysians who missed the show will now have to travel to Singapore to see it, which is really a pity. Let's hope it will do a third season in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps during the school holidays next year as part of our run-up to the 50th Merdeka anniversary. 

This is a show we can be proud of. Just before the musical's curtains went up last week, the audience stood up to sing the Negaraku. I could feel goose pimples as the crowd sang the national anthem. 

Patriotism does not mean putting up the Jalur Gemilang for the municipal council officers to see. To put it simply, many wrap the national flag around their hearts and we love Malaysia just as much. 

And it is not just listening to politicians but supporting a local project, sometimes just a musical or a CD, but let's do a good job instead of just making empty rhetoric that we want to be of world-class standard. 

THE words have become harsher and louder. There is no longer talk of getting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to come together to end their feud. 

Over the past one week, both sides have taken their slugging to a different height. For the former premier, the tone has become more personal. No one is spared, not even family members and minor players in the high stakes political spat.  

The usually soft-spoken Pak Lah, too, has become more combative. His choice of words has also become more powerful. He has used words like iblis (devil), fitnah (slander) and hina (insult). Last week, he challenged his critics to prove their allegations and "if there is none, then be prepared to face the consequences". 

He has also served notice to bloggers and political websites who had attacked his leadership on a daily basis. 

The volume has been turned up because the fight has become more intense, even vicious. In short, it has now reached a point of no return. 

There is no more elegant silence as Pak Lah, Khairy Jamaluddin and their supporters take off their gloves. Pak Lah had initially allowed the ministers to do the talking but he has now adopted a forthright approach, taking on even the most difficult issues, including allegations against his family members. 

The many issues brought up on websites were at first ignored but as the rumour mill went overboard, creating doubts and confusion among Umno grassroots members, Pak Lah must have felt that he needed to tackle these head-on. 

On Aug 7, the Umno president appeared on TV3 to answer several allegations that had been hurled at him. His critics have, however, said the answers have created more questions. 

Pak Lah and Dr Mahathir have now taken their cases to the Malay heartland, as Umno's 191 divisions hold their annual general meetings. 

Dr Mahathir has even started to send letters to Umno members to state his case against the administration. 

The campaign to win the hearts and minds of the Umno delegates is crucial as these are the 2,000-over delegates who will attend the annual general assembly. 

Khairy, who has one of the highest numbers of invitations, is certainly one of the most sought after speakers. 

Not only has he answered the allegations directly, bringing these rumours into the open, but he has taken on two key backers of Dr Mahathir – Kelantan politician Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali and former political aide Matthias Chang, accusing them of influencing Dr Mahathir. 

In Khairy's own words, answering the allegations has formed a critical part of his presentation, as party members "want to hear it from the horse's mouth". 

Not only do Umno members want to hear from their leaders, many also want to pose questions to those named in websites and blogs. 

But there are also those who want to hear Dr Mahathir. Petaling Jaya Utara division did just that last Saturday. 

They circumvented the directive that only supreme council members and mentris besar could open their meeting by getting Dr Mahathir to speak before they started their meeting. 

Dr Mahathir's backers have pushed for him to speak at the assembly while Pak Lah's men have blamed him for splitting the party. 

His strongest supporter, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, has for the first time described Dr Mahathir as Umno's biggest opposition, pointing out that even PAS, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have stayed out. 

On Saturday, Nazri called on Dr Mahathir to refute a report in a Singapore newspaper, which alleged that Dr Mahathir wanted to topple the Prime Minister. Not one to mince his words, Nazri revealed there was disunity in Umno now. 

Even certain senior Umno leaders who have been cautious in their remarks, as they had worked under Dr Mahathir previously, now feel that they need to rebuff Dr Mahathir openly. 

The biggest worry is that if Dr Mahathir were left unchallenged, the opposition would benefit the most in the next general election. 

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin said the opposition could play the tapes of Dr Mahathir's criticism in the next polls. They need not even make speeches, Muhyiddin said. 

They also do not want cracks to appear in Umno, although delegates have traditionally supported the incumbent. 

There have also been worse scenarios previously when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim brought his campaign to the streets. 

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah went even further. He took several senior Umno leaders to form Parti Melayu Semangat 46, which was supported by Tunku Abdul Rahman. 

What is different this time is that the fight is from Dr Mahathir, a leader who has led Malaysia for 22 years. For many in Umno Youth, this is the only leader they know. 

They have been taught to revere him. He was a man who could do no wrong and now, they find themselves in an unusual position of having to rebuff him. Worse, some who have apple-polished him have taken a different role. 

But there are also those who used to criticise Dr Mahathir for his seemingly dictatorial ways have now paired up with him. 

As they say, there are neither permanent enemies nor friends in politics. The incumbent will always have the upper hand – that is the reality. 

Over the next few weeks, as Umno leaders criss-cross the country, the decibels will get louder. There will be no room for fence-sitters and Umno leaders will be expected to make their stand known.  

But for outsiders, they will follow the statements of Umno leaders closely, even nervously, hoping the feud will not get out of hand. 

The general consensus is that if the squabble is prolonged, the country's economy and political stability will be affected. 

Given the softening of the economy in many sectors, the hope is that we can get on with our attention on the economy. Time waits for no one.  

Last week, the report made it into most national newspapers with one television station interviewing several political figures as a follow-up. One Umno Youth leader questioned the accuracy of the survey.

But a similar finding of the survey, if not the same, had been made last year shortly before the inaugural National Congress on Integrity in July. The report had said that about 31% of students in public institutions of higher learning said they would take bribes if they were in positions of power and had the authority.

The study, it was reported, involved 8,000 individuals, out of whom 650 were university students. The study was commissioned by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he was deputy prime minister and chairman of the Special Cabinet Committee on Government Management Integrity.

It was coordinated by the Anti-Corruption Agency and conducted by academics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Last week's news reports basically reaffirmed what most Malaysians already know.  We have become so used – if not immune – to corruption that it did not even spark off a controversy.

But herein lies the danger. When corruption is regarded as an acceptable way of enriching oneself, then it becomes a culture. Once that is entrenched, it is much more difficult to fight the scourge.

Let's be frank. The government cannot fight graft by setting up institutes and conducting seminars. The Integrity Institute of Malaysia can create awareness but wrongdoers – the corrupt and those who abuse their positions – need to be fearful of the authorities.

The lack of political will and the seemingly powerless ACA do not help in the battle against corruption.

Legislation can act as a deterrent but real enforcement is the answer. No one can inculcate integrity, that's for sure. Worse still, when low-level civil servants feel that accepting small bribes is justified because they perceive the powerful ones are doing the same and getting away scot-free.

It is not just in Malaysia but in many countries, where individuals whose backgrounds are tainted by corruption and criminal breach of trust, are no longer shunned by society but accepted and even welcomed.

Some continue to keep their titles even after serving jail sentences.

When that happens, what kind of message are we sending to our young people? These actions of ours, rightly or wrongly, give the impression that taking and accepting bribes is all right. Just don't get caught.

A survey by the Merdeka Centre last year reported that one in three Malaysians would pay a RM100 bribe to a traffic policeman to be let off a speeding offence that carries a RM300 fine.

The poll found that two-thirds of bribes involved the police, mostly for traffic violations, and are in the range of RM100 or less, and that they involved mostly low-level personnel.

In another survey by the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity and the Malaysian Institute of Management a few years back, it found that people with higher incomes were more likely to comply with demands for a pay-off.

But we really don't need these surveys to tell us that corruption has gone from bad to worse. Every time a festival approaches, we cynically tell one another that more road-blocks would be set up to nab motorists who break the speed limit.

Money is asked for in oblique terms. Instead of issuing an immediate summons, there will be "negotiations" on how the traffic offence can be "settled".

In fact, with all the closed circuit television equipment, the police should just send the summonses to the motorists.  Setting up road-blocks along the North-South Highway should be stopped. It is not only dangerous but gives rise to suspicion that there are crooked policemen on our highways, when speed-trap cameras have already been installed.

But corrupt policemen are the least of our problems. We should be more concerned with the loss of taxpayers' money when projects become more expensive because there is a lack of good corporate governance and business ethics.

When businessmen prefer to pay off corrupt civil servants because delays mean an increase in cost and when foreign investors bypass Malaysia because of such delays, that's when the slide begins, and the culture of corruption starts to take root.

The Prime Minister has rightly harped on the importance of the delivery system, which is essential to prevent delays, costs and corruption.

But there is this perception that the fight against corruption has lost its steam. Malaysia was ranked 39th – a drop of two spots – in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index for 2004.

The 2005 index showed that we are still in the same position.

It was set up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the 1970s for refugees who fled the conflict in their homeland, but it has since become home to many illegal foreigners

Despite the many police raids and eviction exercises, Pulau Gaya has remained a problem for Sabah. On Friday, two gunmen were shot dead while an inspector and two other policemen were seriously wounded in a shootout during a drug raid. 

No one is surprised at the lawlessness there. For many Sabahans, the presence of illegal foreigners has truly tested their limits of tolerance. Many are angry and frustrated that the Government has not done enough to send these illegals home.  

In the past, it was just the Filipinos and Indonesians, but now there are also increasingly high numbers of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. 

No one is sure of their actual numbers but locals fear that the situation has gone out of control. They want the federal government to take real action. 

The authorities say there are 60,000 foreigners, mainly from the Philippines, who have been allowed to stay temporarily in Sabah because of the fighting in southern Philippines. These people hold what is known as the IMM13 document. But many believe there are at least 1.75 million foreigners in the state, of which 750,000 are illegal.  

At the Dewan Rakyat, DAP MP Teresa Kok was told that as at March 2006, Sabah has a population of 2.98 million but 743,600 were non-citizens.  

The Consumer Association of Sabah and Labuan is currently on a campaign to collect 100,000 signatures to petition the King to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate fresh allegations that tens of thousands of identity cards had been issued to foreigners under special exercises. 

Allegations that certain powerful political figures had endorsed the influx of illegals into Sabah for political expediency should be given serious attention as it has now become public knowledge. 

The situation in Sabah should no longer be treated as a local issue. It is a national security crisis because the influx of foreigners into the state has not stopped. 

No one is even sure of the numbers and certainly no one can ascertain how many have genuine identity cards. 

Furthermore, no one knows how many of these cards were obtained by dubious means and how many of the card holders have become Malaysian citizens, and even voted in state elections, as alleged. Then, there is the question of how many of these foreigners are walking around with fake documents.  

If the authorities continue to take this lightly and give the impression that it has not acted strongly against these foreigners, then we are sending the wrong message to Malaysians and these foreigners. 

The demand by Sabahans, who are fed up with putting up with crime committed by these foreigners, deserves to be given immediate attention by the Internal Security Ministry. 

It is a big mess but the authorities need to sort it out. It may have political implications and high-level figures may even be implicated but the authorities have to get to the bottom of the problem. 

At a recent roundtable discussion by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, officials from the state level immigration and national registration departments snubbed the commissioners. Vice-chairman Simon Sipaun correctly said that the presence of the officials could have helped close the gap between "general perceptions and the real situation". 

It is pertinent to note that the police have announced that Bukit Aman has set up a task force to investigate the allegations of fake MyKad holders in Sabah.  

The situation in Sabah should be given national attention as it would have serious political, economic and social implications. More important, the presence of a huge number of illegal foreigners poses a threat to national security. 

Sabah needs a good clean-up. The people have a right to feel comfortable and secure in their own state without any threats from anyone, especially from foreigners.

MY colleague Johan Fernandez had a rude shock when he returned to Kuala
Lumpur after working for five years in New York, where he was the
newspaper's North America Editor.  

A car which was on loan to him when he came home was stolen after just one week. 

Despite our perception, mainly from news reports and Hollywood movies
that the Big Apple is a dangerous city, Johan was never mugged. It
could have been just plain bad luck that the car was stolen, but I have
a feeling that he believes things have changed much in Kuala Lumpur
since he left. 

If the authorities have their way, they would not want the media to
report too much on crime. They are worried investors and tourists will
stay away if there are too many crime reports. 

It would not be wrong to assume that the authorities do not feel
comfortable with reports of snatch thefts, rapes and robberies,
preferring not to read about them, believing that they would go away if
we close one eye.  

They have always argued that this was to protect the tourism industry but the denial syndrome has led us nowhere. 

The fact is that most Malaysians, especially those in major towns,
believe that their neighbourhoods are no longer safe. Generally, they
feel that there are not enough policemen on the beat.  

The other often heard complaint is that there are too many foreigners
in the country now. Never mind that most crimes are committed by
locals. But instead of having professional expatriates, we think there
are too many foreigners with little skills, or none at all, in
Malaysia.  

Worse, when foreign labourers and petty traders get their permanent
resident status with ease, we have the right to question the criteria
used to provide them this privilege.  

We are told that the criteria are stringent, but we cannot be blamed for being cynical.  

Today, many Malaysians, especially those in the Klang Valley, Penang
and Johor Baru do not feel sufficiently comfortable with the security
situation in their surroundings.  

According to the 2004 Quality of Life Report, the crime rate per
thousand of population has increased from 3.8 in 1990 to 6.2 in 2002.
We can assume that the figures have remained unchanged. 

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had said on July
28 that many Malaysians fear for their personal safety in the future
because juvenile crime is on the rise.  

Statistics show that some 10,000 youths and 4,000 schoolchildren were caught for various crimes and vice activities last year. 

On June 7, Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Sulaiman Mohd
Yusuf said the city's crime index involving violent and property crime
went up by 3.9% in the first five months of the year, and that the
situation needed to be given serious attention.  

Selangor has the highest reported crime rate, accounting for more than 28% of the cases nationwide. 

In May, Datuk Michael Chong, who heads the MCA Public Complaints and
Services Department, reportedly said data show that some six women are
raped every day in Malaysia between January and March. 

The data, obtained from police records, show that the number of rape
cases had gone up significantly from the average of 4.7 a day between
1997 and 2004. 

Figures on the Malaysian police website showed that the number of
violent crime cases had increased every year, from 21,604 cases in 2000
to 22,133 last year. 

In January, the then Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Chia
Kwang Chye said crime was bleeding the country, with losses estimated
at about RM15.3bil in 2004.  

The consolation is that our police rate of solving crime has
consistently been higher than Interpol's standard of 20%. The Rakan Cop
programme in Kuala Lumpur has also resulted in the overall crime rate
falling by about 20% since its introduction two years ago. 

But discussion about crime must go beyond statistics. We are talking
about human lives and certainly the police force, which faces funding,
manpower and facilities problems, deserves all the support.  

For the record, its strength is 90,000 men. However, less than 10,000
of them are assigned to fight crime. They need another 15,000 to 20,000
men if they are to fight crime effectively. 

We must get our priorities right.  

How can the Government convince the rakyat
that we cannot afford to pay our policemen better and yet channel funds
for controversial projects such as the multi-million sports training
centre in Britain? 

What do we tell the parents of Lee Khian
Yip, the 18-year-old student of Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (KTAR) who was
attacked by two men? That he was not careful enough?  

With 11As in the SPM examination, there was so much ahead of him but the cruel killers ended it all.  

The same night, another KTAR student Phang Kar Wei was attacked and slashed by two men on a motorcycle.  

Last Sunday in Johor Baru, make-up specialist Indra Shahril Mohd
Salleh, 32, was found brutally stabbed and slashed at his shop in Jalan
Dahlia 10, Taman Dahlia. 

There is a public outcry now because of these incidents. However, would
all these be forgotten one week from now and would we be making another
round of similar complaints when another incident takes place? 

We have to get used to the reality that the police cannot be
everywhere. Fighting crime is a shared responsibility between the
police and the community. From the setting up of anti-crime clubs in
schools to neighbourhood watch, we need to learn to protect ourselves. 

But more importantly, our police must have the financial resources and
backing from the Government to equip themselves to fight crime.  

The presence of policemen in key areas is important as a deterrent.
Talk is cheap, it is time we see more real commitment, not excuses. 

There are some issues that cannot be resolved in the short term and one of them is religious dispute. For that matter, human beings have been quarrelling over religion, in one form or another, for centuries and without satisfactory answers. 

The line has been stretched a little thin over the past six months. From calls for individual constitutional rights to claims of the big number of apostates to suggestions that Kongsi Raya should be discontinued, I think we have heard enough. 

Be it in organised forums, newspaper reports and commentaries, letters to the editor, postings on the Internet, or even idle chatter at the neighbourhood mamak shops, there is a sense of uncertainty over where all this will eventually lead to. We have to move on. 

Just take a look at the comments posted on certain websites. While some bloggers have taken pains to remove remarks deemed seditious, many have slipped through and not only remained on these sites but taken a life of their own as they are circulated all over the Internet. 

These reckless online comments, often racist, have been allowed to appear without a thought that people of all races and religions read them. It leads to a lot of unnecessary damage and strong reactions. 

In the name of free expression, we have allowed people to make hurtful remarks without giving a thought to the implications. 

When the right to speak is abused, the issue takes on a different perspective. The right of expression does not mean the right to hurt others. 

We take a stand without realising that there would also be opposing views, whether liberal, secular or conservative.  

When a statement is made by any individual or group, it leads to a reaction. If this goes on, it will never end. But it has to come to an end. 

While some of us are able to take part in an intellectual discourse in a mature manner, many others are unable to do so. That is a fact, unfortunately. 

There is a need for Malaysia to stress on our common ground. That must be our national mission. Haven't we wasted enough time on inconsequential issues that have bogged us down and drained our energy? 

Malaysia is in the news for the wrong reasons. The political spat and religious tangle have made good news reading for our neighbours and in a competitive regional economy, I am sure they would want us to remain that way. 

But we are in a race. There is this distinct frustration among many Malaysians that we are losing our strides. There is this fear that if we do not get our act together, we will fall behind and, if that happens, it would be difficult to catch up. 

They are right to have such anxieties because time waits for no one. Malaysia has a good thing going. We should be putting our talents and strengths together to compete with our economic rivals, not looking for differences among ourselves. 

There has to be a wake-up call, at some point. It would not be wrong to believe that the Prime Minister is losing his patience, even tolerance, on elements who want to disrupt the country's political and economic stability. 

There is excessive politicking in this country. We keep going back to the past, seemingly obsessed in digging out issues which Malaysians are simply no longer interested in. 

What Malaysians would like to know is how the Government can make it easier for them to cope with the increasing cost of living. For many middle-class Malaysians with housing and car loans, speculation of another interest rate hike is worrisome. 

Yes, we do sympathise with the attacks by the Israelis on Lebanon but we are equally concerned that the price of oil will go up again, given the uncertainties in the region.  

The Government has given us an assurance that there would no petrol price hike for this year but the war has serious bearing on the economy in other ways. 

But much more that, for many older Malaysians, we are sad that the word "muhibbah" has lost its meaning. The word isn't even used any more. 

We take great pride in telling the world that Malaysia is truly Asia. That we are multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural. That means pluralism has to be re-affirmed. 

Pluralism is not a word to be used only during annual festivals or in brochures for tourists. It is about Malaysians of different races coming together. No one, especially in government, should tolerate attempts by anyone to remove the multi-racial facet of this land. And that means safeguarding the rights of all Malaysians. 

We celebrate our National Day next month. It is time we remind ourselves how and what the three main major races have achieved because they worked together for Malaysia. 

We are Malaysians at home, not just when we are overseas. 

If we wish to show sensitivity and sensibility to one another, let the same be done by our politicians. Be leaders of Malaysians, not just one race. 

To check out reports on The Web of Terror, please click here.

 On the trail of the second wave

May 30, 2006

            By WONG CHUN WAI and LOURDES CHARLES

            MASRAN Arshad keeps to himself, mostly, at the Kamunting
Detention Centre, where he is now being detained under the Internal Security
Act. 

            There is little indication that the name of this 32-year-old man
from Semanggol, a small town in Perak, has been on the radar screen of every
major intelligence agency.

            He has tried to impress upon his fellow detainees and
interrogators that he is a tough man. To them, he is a firebrand who is
proud of his background.

            Masran has led a double life. He has travelled to Pakistan and
Afghanistan, spending his time in countless religious schools, which dot the
two countries.

            In Afghanistan, he met one man who changed his entire life –
Osama bin Laden, head of the al-Qaeda network of terrorists, who is now on
the run.

            Fired up by the passionate sermons of Osama, Masran decided to
dedicate his life to the shadowy work of al-Qaeda. More than that, he swore
his allegiance to the Saudi Arabian prince, who had given up his wealth for
his jihad.

            Together with Masran were three other Malaysians – Nik Abdul
Rahman Mustaffa, Mohd Farik Amin @ Zubair and Nazir Lep @ Lilie.

            Burning with idealism, Masran was ready to please Osama.
Watching his movements closely, the al-Qaeda operatives in the Taliban
capital of Kandahar found Masran to be hard-working and trustworthy.

            "Masran impressed them further when they found out that he is
also the son-in-law of a former top Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader. His
father-in-law has since been arrested and sentenced to prison in Indonesia,"
said sources.

            To try him out, he acted as a courier for the al-Qaeda,
travelling through the mountains, to pass money and material to al-Qaeda
operatives in Pakistan.

            In South-East Asia, Hambali, the 39-year-old key al-Qaeda man
for the region, was their contact person. The Indonesian terrorist has since
been arrested by the CIA and detained in an unknown detention centre.

            Soon, the al-Qaeda set their eyes on Masran for a bigger job. It
was a mission Masran could never have imagined – to head a team to crash a
plane, which they would hijack, into the 73-storey Library Tower/US Bank
Tower, the tallest building in downtown Los Angeles.

            No date was given for the mission but the plan, which has now
been termed Project California, was supposed to be the biggest after the
Sept 11, 2001, attack on the Twin Towers in New York.

            "His main task was to carry C4 (plastic explosives) with him and
to take control of the plane by overpowering the cockpit crew," said one
intelligence official.

            Terrorism experts have described the plan as the "Second Wave"
to mean the follow-up attacks by the various al-Qaeda suicide bombers
worldwide after Sept 11.

            The fifth Malaysian – Zaini Zakaria – was given the job of
piloting the plane and to crash into the US Bank Tower in the central
business district in downtown Los Angeles.

            "It was to be an act which would get international attention
because it would be so awesome. This was supposed to be al-Qaeda's grandest
act of terror after Sept 11," another official added.

            Last month, Bush named Zaini, an electrical engineering graduate
from Western New College, Massachusetts, as being one of those picked for
the attack.

            Regional intelligence sources said Khaled Sheikh Mohamed, a top
al-Qaeda leader, personally chose the five Malaysians for the mission, with
blessings from Osama.

            According to security expert Ken Conboy in the book, The Second
Front, the Malaysians were chosen for al-Qaeda's second wave of attacks
because the movement was aware that intelligence forces were already keeping
an eye on Middle Eastern men.

            In what could possibly be an all-Malaysian terrorist team,
intelligence sources said their ability to speak English, although not
perfect, was an added advantage.

            Zaini, 39, was among the first Jemaah Islamiah members to be
selected by the al-Qaeda for formal training for foreign fighters in
Afghanistan.

            Although all were recruited before 2001, no date was given for
Project California, but the plan began to fall apart after that.

            "The Americans started attacking Kandahar and many al-Qaeda
leaders were on the run. Hambali started to set his eyes on less grandiose
attacks in South-East Asia," said intelligence sources.

            By then, regional intelligence officers had stepped up their
surveillance. The arrests of key al-Qaeda operatives shed more light on what
the Malaysians had planned to do and they began watching closely the five
Malaysians.

            Masran and Nik Abdul Rahman sneaked back into the country in
2002 and were immediately arrested.

            "Upon interrogation the authorities learnt that they were
involved in planning a second wave attack on the US.

            "The swift action by the Malaysian intelligence officers
prevented what would have been a similar incident to 9/11," the sources
said.

            It is learnt that acting on the information the Thai police
picked up Mohd Farik and Nazir in Ayutthaya, Bangkok before arresting
Hambali a couple of days later. They were handed over to the CIA.

            Like Hambali, the whereabouts of the two Malaysians remained
unknown, although there is talk that he is being held in a US facility in a
West Asian country.

            Hambali has been regarded as one of the planners of the
nightclub bombings in Bali in 2002 and the 2003 bomb attack on the JW
Marriot Hotel in Jakarta.