As Michelle Yeoh once put it, "one can practically smell a fellow Malaysian anywhere when one is overseas".

The last time fellow Malaysians and I sang aloud and with much passion the Negaraku and to raise the Jalur Gemilang was when we sailed on the Sea of Galilee. We were on a Christian pilgrimage in Jerusalem and amidst the spirituality, it warmed our hearts tremendously when we were able to display our national identity in such a manner.

In the run-up to our National Day, it is good that a debate has started over the playing of the national anthem at public events.

We should have no reservations about making it a practice for the national anthem to be played at all major sports and political events, irrespective of whether they are organised by the Government  or private  sector.

There is no reason why the practice should be restricted to school assemblies, the television and radio stations, and the weekly gathering of civil servants at the various ministries.

The national flag should also be flown by motorists, not just during the National Day celebrations, but at all times.

For a start, our leaders should take the lead by encouraging such a practice.

They should display these little flags on their cars, not just their official Perdana black cars but also their private cars.

But having said that, I hope our leaders and civil servants do not get too carried away in their efforts to promote the anthem and the flag.

Standing at attention and singing the national anthem do not make anyone a patriotic person. For example, a corrupt politician, who has been putting his fingers into the public coffers, surely cannot be considered a patriotic person.

Likewise, a Malaysian who is prepared to sacrifice national interest for foreigners, either for monetary or political interests, cannot claim to be loyal to our beloved country even if he has the Jalur Gemilang flying in his garden.

To put it simply, we should not measure the patriotism of Malaysians by the flying of flags or how they respond to the Negaraku. It would be a shame if that is how we gauge the level of loyalty.

We cannot force patriotism down the people's throat. I dare say that almost all Malay- sians are loyal to the country.

As much as the opposition politicians are sometimes labelled as anti-national and disloyal, the fact is that loyalty to the country does not mean loyalty to the ruling party. It's two different things.

The current issue is the playing of the national anthem in cinemas.

Although there was some confusion initially, it is good that Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir has clarified that the singing of the national anthem before movie screenings would not be appropriate.

"Negaraku should only be sung at appropriate times and only when the occasion calls for it," he told reporters.

Many young Malaysians may not be aware of it but during the 1960s, the national anthem was played in cinemas.

And during those turbulent times, when the country was fighting communists and communalists, not everyone stood up when it was played. Some sat in defiance, ignoring the stares of other cinema-goers.

But in current day situations, I cannot imagine myself standing up, with my hands by my side, as the Negaraku is played before the movie comes on.

And as soon as it is over, it's back to business, watching Kungfu Hustle or the latest SenarioXX , with my hands in the popcorn packet this time.

But playing the national anthem at stadiums, particularly at sports event, is entirely different. We want to build up the passion, so to speak, before a game with another country.

Games involving fellow Malaysian teams should also include this ritual. Even in the United States and many European countries, the national anthem is played before a game starts.

On a trip to Thailand recently, I was surprised to find shoppers and traders standing in respect when the Thai national anthem was played at the closing time of Chatuchak market.

To put it in context, the current debate has helped many of us reflect on what it means to be a citizen of this blessed nation. I believe we should all be thankful and proud that we are Malaysians.

As we prepare to celebrate our 48th Merdeka Day on Aug 31, I believe all Malaysians already know how to stand up when the national anthem is played. We not only stand up for Negaraku, but we all truly stand up for our country.

Foreign newsmen attending the 58th World Newspaper Congress and 12th World Editors Forum in Seoul last week may not even have noticed what nationality kim chi they were being served but to the South Korean reporters and traders at the local markets, it was a hot issue indeed.

The South Koreans themselves, of course, are no strangers to making imitations of branded products like Louis Vuitton and Chanel. But even in this world of fakes, the traders at Itaewon, where one can buy such products, say that China-made imitations are also making their way there.

The world, including Malaysia, must wake up to the reality that China has become the world's largest producer of almost everything.

Many factories in Malaysia, including several in Penang, have relocated to China to take advantage of its cheaper labour.

Chinese workers are not merely the low-skilled ones but also well-trained personnel in science and engineering. It produces 250,000 engineering graduates each year. For comparison, India produces 150,000 a year.

One big news item last week was China's decision to scrap its concessions on textiles to avert a trade war with the United States and Europe.

The US and Europe, alarmed over the Chinese inroads, have taken steps to restrict imports of Chinese clothing and textiles. It's simply a protectionist action on the part of the West but China has correctly played down the issue, preferring not to fight a war it cannot win.

It is interesting to note that the focus on economic growth – with GDP expanding at more than 8% a year – remains the main agenda for the government and people of China. Instead of constantly patting themselves on the back and seeking attention, Chinese entrepreneurs have cleverly projected themselves as weak Third World players, even as they surge to become dominant global players at the same time.

All this is taking place in an increasingly competitive world where countries which cannot change will lag behind.

It is said that nations which build fortresses will remain stagnant while those prepared to move, change and adapt will become strong.

The question is whether Malaysia is ready for all these high-speed economic changes taking place around the world.

Our leaders, no doubt, are fully aware of the consequences of lagging behind.

The government intends to get rid of the subsidy mentality and dependence on crutches but there is obviously resistance. Such stubborn mindsets have to be tackled. But time waits for no one. The economic challenge to Malaysians no longer comes from a Malay, a Chinese or an Indian but from China, India and the rest of the world.

In an increasingly connected world, the entry of China and India would have a tremendous impact on Malaysia.

There is no way we can take them on but we can learn to gain from them and treat these two giants as partners rather than competitors.

Our Malaysian politicians need to lead the people, regardless of their race, to face these global changes. We have spent too much time on issues which benefit no one. Instead of playing to the gallery by bringing up issues of the past that smack of communalism, we need to move on.

In this context, the government must be commended for taking steps to make Mandarin and Tamil part of the curriculum in national schools.

There has been talk that the government is prepared to even hire teachers from China and India if there is a shortage.

We must not be afraid of learning Mandarin and Tamil because these two languages are international languages. It is to the advantage of our young ones, regardless of their race, to know these two and even more languages if we wish to do business with these two economic giants.

Malaysian businessmen, besides Singaporeans, enjoy an advantage in China and India because of the ethnic and linguistic links.

For that matter, Arabic too should be an elective subject in schools and universities as West Asia, especially Dubai, is also moving at a furious pace.

The emphasis on English needs to be further encouraged, not stifled, if we wish to move on.

Our leaders should not be cowed by those who, in the name of nationalism, selfishly limit the advancement of English in our education system.

Last week, a friend gave me a large copper-tooled scene of The Last Supper. It was made at a factory in Guangdong, China.

The statues of many Hindu deities on sale in Singapore, according to The Straits Times, are also from China.

Nothing seems sacred any more and Malaysia had better wake up to that fact.

He has lessened the opportunities for corrupt activities by improving the public service delivery system and increasing transparency and accountability in the public sector.

That is not all. Abdullah has set up institutions promoting national integrity to instil a culture that hates corruption. He has also pushed for the return of an open tender system, when previously selected companies only needed to submit their bids to the Economic Planning Unit which then makes its recommendations to the government.

Just two weeks ago, the public had their first detailed look at the level of corruption in the police force following the release of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Abdullah has taken the lead by heading a task force that would carry out the recommendations of the commission. His personal attention will certainly help to push the proposals through more effectively.

But Malaysians want to see more. They would like to see the Anti-Corruption Agency as truly independent and modelled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), to give our investigators more clout.

Giving the ACA a free hand to carry out its tasks is insufficient if the public have the perception that there is interference from powerful politicians, even if that is not true.

Enforcement of the laws must be carried out without fear and favour. The public should not be given the impression, rightly or wrongly, that selective prosecution is being practised.

Abdullah must be supported in his fight against graft because it must be accorded the highest priority. This sickness must not be allowed to become  deep-rooted, like in Indonesia and Thailand. Worse, Malaysians now complain about enforcement officers who openly demand for money because these officers no longer try to hide the fact that they are corrupt.

Our leaders only need to go down to the ground. Talk to the petty traders at markets, talk to people who have to seek approvals from government departments, talk to motorists who are stopped by traffic cops. The list is endless.

It is not a surprise that the commission found that next to the police, the municipal councils and Road Transport Department (JPJ) are perceived to be the most corrupt.

In fact, a commission should be set up to investigate these two bodies. Why should only the police be subject to a 15-month probe when their numbers, in proportion to the population, are much smaller than the councils and JPJ?

Last week, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said political parties must not allow corruption to exist, saying that they must be willing to take action against even the most prominent and highest official of the party.

There were indications, he said, that corruption might be getting to a point of no return and leaders were willing to pay money to get themselves elected. Although he did not specify Umno, he said that "everybody talks about money politics (in Umno)".

It is good that Dr Mahathir has come out strongly against corruption but personally, I wish he could have done more during his over 20 years in office, such as carrying out anti-corruption campaigns to create awareness of the debilitating impact of corruption.

With his strong leadership, authority and grip on Umno, he let slip the opportunity to introduce reforms including effective enforcement of laws against corruption.

Malaysians may remain grateful to Dr Mahathir for the economic boom they enjoyed during his tenure, but one source of unhappiness was the introduction of the negotiated tender, which lacked accountability and openness. In fact, for many, it was no tender at all.

Money politics in Umno did not rear its ugly head one year or two years ago but at least a decade ago, when we saw the big fights in Umno.  Leaders like then Umno deputy president Tun Ghafar Baba and present deputy minister Datuk Aziz Shamsuddin, who lost his divisional chief's post, were victims who openly tell their stories.

No fight against corruption can be meaningful unless there is a demonstration of political will and commitment from the public to reject all forms of corruption, not just in the public sector but also in the private sector.

The pressure from the Abdullah Administration and the public must continue if we are serious about the war against corruption. We are all waiting to see what the government intends to do next now that the commission's report is out.

More action, less rhetoric, please.

To be fair, such wastage of public funds by the local governments is not confined to the Penang Municipal Council. Malaysians who have travelled around the country would attest to similar fiascos in the name of art.

In Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, one can find fountains that no longer function, presumably because it is just too expensive to repair them, or just a case of plain negligence.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council, easily one of the richest councils, spent RM3mil more than three years ago to put up the Millennium Park in SS13 despite much criticism.

The council promised that it would be a top-class attraction but the park predictably became a top-class fiasco within two years after it was built in 2001.

A check by The Star in January found that the ponds had become stagnant, the Balinese-style cascades had run dry and the once-golden bird statue had turned drab grey. Worse, the toilets were filthy. The multi-purpose hall was littered with construction debris and looked more like an abandoned place.

The ratepayers have been proven right. Because of poor maintenance and the fact that residents largely ignored it, the park had to be closed down.

The council has handed the park to a private company with promises of turning it into a "happening place" which will also include a food court.

Well, as Subang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng said, at least the council would be able to collect rental from the company but I have my reservations about the project.

But the damage has been done. The RM3mil could have been used for more useful projects including improving roads, pathways and installing more street lights.

The council did not get its priorities right and RM3mil has gone down the drain as a result of poor planning. I doubt whether any official has been hauled up to give an explanation for the dismal failure.

Over the past few years, local governments have come under scrutiny from ratepayers who know their rights better. They want to exercise their rights and they expect the councils to perform their duties effectively.

Running a council is not an easy task, especially in major towns, but civil servants entrusted with the responsibilities have to implement good governance.

Instant beautification projects are seldom successful. According to those familiar with the approval of such projects, they are often the decisions of the executive officer, the landscaping committee or councillors who propose the ideas.

The ideas are seldom brought up at the full council meeting and, as a result, even the councillors may not be aware of such projects until it is known to the media, which may highlight it. Or worse, after they are implemented.

They could be projects recommended by landscape companies or ideas borrowed from overseas after a study tour by council officials, who assume they can be equally appealing here.

But in all fairness, there are also good ones. The two City Halls in Kuching have impressed many Malaysians who visited the state. The streets and even the alleys in Kuching North and South are clean and properly maintained.

Our councillors do not have to travel far to study good ideas. They can get basic ideas, with plenty of common sense, from Kuching.

That is why I was a little disheartened when a retired senior Kuala Lumpur City Hall official told me recently that he had never visited Kuching.

We expect our Datuk Bandar and council presidents to be sensitive to the needs of the people. Ratepayers are not stupid. They know how to appreciate a municipal or a city that is well run.

There were no further details on the subject but the
matter was even commented on by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak yesterday.

Some had pointed fingers at a retired Selangor officer and said he had been
bold enough to declare his assets to the authorities.

The allegations of graft, as contained in pages 278 to 287 of the report,
included officers wanting food from expensive hotels delivered to their rooms
on a regular basis to policemen returning arrested guest relations officers
from China to their station lock-ups with "love bites" on their necks after
they had been taken out.

The allegations also included police officers offering to switch urine samples
taken during raids for between RM200 and RM2,000. It was even alleged that
those who tested negative were asked to pay to avoid being framed as urine
samples could be switched easily.

One reader e-mailed her disgust after reading the report while a few senior
police officers expressed their unhappiness privately that the media had picked
up little bits of the report which made the force look bad instead of analysing
the entire context of the report, particularly its needs and shortage of
manpower and equipment.

For example, the commission said it was not convinced that granting salary
increases to policemen would reduce corruption but said it "believes that in
addition to examining critically their training and development needs, their
service conditions must be reviewed regularly to ensure those conditions
reflect fairly the special demands and nature of police service."

But the police as the most important enforcement agency needs to ensure that it
operates with the highest standard of professional integrity. It cannot expect
public support if its members cannot reject corrupt practices.

It must also be emphasised to Malaysians reading the report that some of the
allegations mentioned are just allegations – not substantiated by
evidence.

Obviously, there are weaknesses in our system that need to be rectified. The
commission reported that "bribe givers who had come forward to complain to the
commission were unwilling to make police reports because by doing so they would
incriminate themselves and feared that action would be taken against
them."

The commission said whistle blowers should be encouraged, as one of the
greatest barriers "is the reluctance or fear among subordinates to report
misconduct of their superiors and colleagues."

"In a clean police service, whistle blowers are regarded as heroes, but in a
corrupt service they are treated as traitors," it reported, adding that whistle
blowers should be recognised and rewarded.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar must be credited for
accepting the report in the right spirit, describing it as balanced. It was not
easy as the commission had not spared anyone or, as one analyst said, "did not
try to sugar coat any of its critical findings."

This is a chance for the police to reorganise and redirect itself. It will be a
massive exercise, no doubt, as it should even move police in administrative
duties to do more crime fighting work.

The unprecedented report has been released. The police force's weaknesses and
shortcomings have been outlined in an open and transparent manner. It is time
to move on, not dwell on the past.

Malaysians need the police. Our men, despite the criticism, have done a decent
job in ensuring our lives are safe and even critical Malaysians will agree that
they solve serious crime cases efficiently despite the handicaps.

In the interest of fairness, we must support the force as it is a vital and
indispensable institution of governance. It is important that the morale and spirit
of the police force must not be undermined as that would be detrimental to the
public and national interests.

It has even tackled minor details, like suggesting that the police should
change its motto of Mesra, Cepat dan Betul (Friendly, Fast and Correct) to
Mesra, Cekap dan Beramanah (Friendly, Efficient and Trustworthy).

It's simple – Malaysians cannot be expected to trust the
police unless it is efficient and corruption-free. That is the general concern
of Malaysians, cutting across all races and religions.

The setting up of the panel was part of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi's pledge to improve delivery of services, reduce corruption and
enhance accountability in government.

Transparency and accountability, the cornerstones of the administration, have
certainly been reflected in the report and, as Inspector-General of Police Tan
Sri Mohd Bakri Omar admitted, it is a balanced report.

The report is comprehensive, covering almost every aspect of the force – from
the management of the organisation to raising awareness of women and children's
rights – but it would be the chapter on corruption that is likely to interest
the readers.

A corruption-free police service is crucial – the police force would be harmful
to the country, jeopardising the carriage of justice, if it is not
trustworthy.

There are plenty of juicy allegations in the report, from guest relations
officers from China who were taken out from police cells to a senior officer
with declared assets of RM34mil.

Then there is an allegation by a complainant that a promotion for his brother,
a superintendent, was possible for RM40,000. Yet another complainant told the
commission that "the traffic division is a lucrative branch".

Corruption can be an emotional issue, but finding the evidence has always been
the frustrating part, as the Anti-Corruption Agency is aware, because the
complainants are often the accomplices, too. Poison-pen letters can hardly be
regarded as evidence.

In the force, it is even more painful for whistle blowers because the reporting
procedure requires reports to be made through a chain of command, which may
include the superior officers complained of.

But it should be noted that the commission also reported that "there are many
police personnel in all ranks of PDRM who serve with dedication and integrity.
They do not engage in corrupt practices of whatever kind".

These dedicated officers, it said, "deserve our admiration," adding that
"corruption in PDRM is part of a larger problem of corruption in government
enforcement agencies".

The commission has correctly pointed out that "the drive against corruption
cannot be targeted at the police alone. It must be targeted at the entire
public service". Besides the police, public complaints against the local
councils and the Road Transport Department are among the highest.

The question of human rights, especially the Internal Security Act, has also
been deliberated at great length by the commission. It has cited the existence
of a range of "preventive" legislation that places restrictions upon
fundamental liberties.

The position taken by the commission is that preventive laws are undesirable
because they deny the individual his personal liberty without a right to an
open trial, but "special measures may be necessary to preserve the security and
well being of the people and the nation".

But its stand is that certain provisions need to be reviewed, such as the
period of remand. It also raised its concern over the use of the Police Act to
regulate assemblies and meetings, saying this was biased against opposition
parties.

While civil liberties in Hong Kong and Australia are often used as references,
we must be cautious that in Malaysia, with its multi-religious and multi-racial
make-up, a different approach needs to be used.

Religious, cultural and racial bigots continue to exist and even terrorists
with links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network have been traced. In fact,
even before the Sept 11 attacks, the Malaysian police had tracked down these
extremists – long before the United States saw the dangers of the terrorism
network.

The police, which has a proven record in fighting terrorism, must be given a
certain flexibility as it would be naive to expect extremists to operate
openly. The police must not fight with one hand tied in the name of civil
liberty.

Sensitive files relating to the information of agents and sources of
intelligence should not be revealed to any agency, as suggested by the proposed
Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. No police in the world
allows that.

The police, on its own, has already taken several measures and implemented several
recommendations of the commission even as the members were doing their
work.

They included measures to strengthen discipline, reduce corruption, increase
police presence in crime-prone areas, expand community policing and shore up
its commercial crimes investigation unit.

The Government must support the police by beefing up the force, which needs
40,000 more policemen, and improving their wages, allowances and housing needs
so our policemen can operate with pride and dignity.

It must be made worthwhile – financially and professionally – for our men and
women in the force, especially when the report has recorded cases of "serious
deficiencies" in its fleet of patrol cars; and even as we talk about the force
fighting crime in the 21st century, the police still have to use "dysfunctional
typewriters" and "bulky walkie-talkies that have long since been
discarded".

Worse, it said the bomb disposal unit still used equipment that was "obsolete
and insufficient for coverage throughout the country" and that "it has no
protective devices against chemical or biological weapons."

Shocking as it may seem, the commission said that the force only has "400
bullet-proof vests" nationwide and that the present loudspeaker devices used by
the Federal Reserve Unit were found to be "not loud enough to be heard above
the din" at demonstrations and "expose the police to allegations of not issuing
warnings before dispersal action is taken".

Besides the poor conditions of many police stations, of which 107 were built
between 1906 and 1992, the housing needs of the lower-ranking officers have
continued to be a major problem. Many constables, especially those in major
towns, have to live in squatter areas, which is not good for their morale and
image.

The question is where do we go from here. The commission has carried out a
credible task and Abdullah has promised to implement the recommendations under
a task force that he personally heads.

Equally important, Malaysians must remember that the strengths and
contributions of the police must not be overlooked as we read about its
weaknesses and shortcomings, as contained in the report.

It all started with presenter Stephen Sackur asking Anwar about his control of TV3 and a fleet of newspapers, suggesting that Anwar had used his political influence to control the media when he was deputy prime minister.

The point made was simple – despite talking about press freedom and civil society, Anwar, like many politicians, had used the media for his own political interest.

But Anwar refuted the allegations, pointing the finger instead at Dr Mahathir at least twice during the interview.

In turn, Dr Mahathir said he was merely a joint trustee together with the Umno deputy president and treasurer to assets and shares owned by the party.

The BBC interview, which was aired four times over Astro, has generated some interest among Malaysians, especially on political websites, but perhaps only among the politically-conscious.

The reality is that Malaysians are more interested in the increasing cost of living. The allegations and rebuttals by Anwar and Dr Mahathir may be a good read but much has taken place over the past years.

Dr Mahathir has retired, Anwar has been released from jail, the Keadilan party was badly defeated in the elections and Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has firmly settled in as prime minister.

Malaysians now talk about what the new administration has done or not done since the general election when the Barisan Nasional scored its biggest electoral success.

While not many people are prepared to write off Anwar from the political scene as he is relatively young at 57, it would be very difficult for him to make a comeback.

As a blogger wrote on his website, he has difficulty placing trust in what Anwar says and practises politically because Anwar was part of the political establishment for more than a decade.

Anwar, he argued, was not much different from many politicians, playing the Islamic image to conservative Muslims and the liberal, civil society leader to the non-governmental organisations.

Some would even blame Anwar for making Malaysia become more Middle Eastern, in the name of Islam, during  the time when he was in power.

But the blogger, echoing the sentiments of many Malaysians, also said that he had nothing but despise over the way Anwar was treated by the police and media when he was arrested.

Most Malaysians who watched the show felt that it harmed Anwar's image. He was unsure, hesitant and, on several instances, made reversals to his statements.

He looked like a jaded politician who has had his time and opportunity. His attempt to project a new look did not appear convincing.

But Westerners, who may not be too familiar with the Malaysian political scene, and those who still harbour anger against Dr Mahathir, could possibly sympathise with the statements made by Anwar.

Topics like civil society, a free society, reforms and the fight against corruption are issues that go down well with the people, regardless of where they come from, and Anwar has understandably used them as his platform.

But all politics is local, as the saying goes. That would be Anwar's predicament, now that he has been released from jail.

Reforms in government and the fight against corruption are no longer issues which are the monopoly of Anwar. They are also the agenda of Abdullah, who has made much progress in these areas.

All that the prime minister must do is to make sure that he continues to pursue these issues passionately. That is the hardest part for Anwar.

At a seminar on innovation and initiatives last week, the common theme among the speakers, all successful businessmen who had no subsidies and government contracts to rely on, was about the comfort zone which many Malaysians are still trapped in.

They were concerned, even alarmed, that while China and India – with their huge pool of trained and hardworking workers – were already competing strongly, many Malaysians had still not  woken up to face the changes.

Air Asia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes, who took over a debt-ridden airline and turned it into a profitable company within five years, is certainly someone our economics and business management students should listen to.

The accountancy graduate spoke about how he had to mortgage his house and borrowed from friends to start a dream – owning an airline – even though he knew nothing about aviation. But the difference was that he dared to take risks.

More important, Fernandes is a prudent man and he runs his company like his no-frills flights. He does not put on a necktie and he often rolls up his sleeves to sit at the check-in counter to keep track of the situation on the ground.

Easily one of the richest men in Malaysia, Fernandes does not have a driver and he jokes about how the security guards still stop him occasionally, thinking that he is a Bangladeshi worker.

With no political connections, Fernandes relates how he  had to face the bureaucracy, powerful competitors, an unhappy Singapore government, SARS and the effect of the Sept 11 incident. But his company is today listed on Bursa Malaysia – all in five years.

Then, there is low-profile Penang businessman Chan Hong Saik. The e-Business Sdn Bhd chief executive officer travels around the world selling his homebred technology system to international clients like IBM, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank.

He has to convince the big clients to buy his products. He has done all this alone, with no assistance from anyone and certainly no subsidies.

But he lamented about the mindset of our graduates, especially the lack of competitive spirit and, worse, their poor command of the English language. Many e-mail and letters, he said, contained serious grammatical errors.

He shared an anecdote of how he called for a  meeting with a group of  fresh graduate workers. After his motivating words, he told his listeners "to get the ball rolling". One young man quickly put up his hand and asked, "Sir, where is the ball?"

"During my student days, when someone had three or five distinctions in an exam, it was considered very good. Now, we have people with 15 or 16As but where are they?" he asked.

Similar sentiments were expressed by scientist Dr Ishwar S. Parhar, who now teaches at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo and Rockefeller University in New York. He spoke about the lack of personnel and expertise, questioning the wisdom of retiring scientists and academicians at 55 years old when Malaysia was facing a serious shortage of scientists.

He urged the scientific community to compete to have their findings published in international journals if they wanted recognition. The St Xavier's Institution old boy was too polite to say it but the fact is that it would be useless for any Malaysian university to publish a journal, for any discipline, if they were only read at home.

Worse, there is little point in winning awards, whether local or international, if these competitions were not recognised by the international academic community. It would merely be a case of syiok sendiri and pulling the wool over the eyes of Malaysians who have little information on these competitions.

The timing could not have been more perfect. Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi correctly said that for Malaysians to be a developed nation, it must rid itself of three addictions – cheap foreign labour, subsidies and favours or connections.

Malaysians, he said, seemed to think that someone else, at the very least the government, owes them a living but he warned that the government could no longer sustain the cost of maintaining such "props" to competitiveness.

In what has been regarded as his strongest speech so far, the often diplomatic leader said that "the treasury's coffers were limited and with other countries becoming more competitive and innovative, it would be more difficult to rely on such strategies for incomes to grow".

But Abdullah has a huge task ahead to convince those who do not see these as "bad habits" but as "privileges". Some of our contractors have been so used to relying on government contracts that they do not even think of competing overseas. Worse, they then sub-let their contracts, which only inflate the costs of construction but some of them are so powerful politically it is difficult to see how Abdullah can change their mindset and attitude.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad spent two decades cajoling, threatening and even crying, but nothing has changed. He was bold and direct, hurting the feelings and sensitivities of many, but he could afford to do so because he was already politically entrenched.

A year after his retirement, my colleagues and I met Dr Mahathir. When we asked him about unemployed graduates, he asked why this situation only affected the Malay graduates. The reasons, he said, were simply because they chose the wrong courses and also because many could not speak English.

"I remember we got companies to hire unemployed graduates and pay them RM400 each but when they got the job, they refused to do anything because it was not their line and they didn't want to learn. They were just marking time. Obviously, these people do not have the right attitude towards work," he said in that interview.

Abdullah is certainly aware of the problems. He has identified the ills but it would not be easy for him to eradicate these addictions. And he has to do this without risking his political hold.

Getting rid of the crutches is difficult but trying to stop these addictions is going to be even tougher.

Last week, Abdullah cleared whatever doubts Malaysians may have by vowing to press on with the campaign against corruption through a two-pronged strategy.

He said the government would continue the anti-corruption campaign through "preventive" and "punitive" measures. From the preventive aspect, it means closing the gaps or opportunities for corrupt activities to occur by improving the public service delivery system and by increasing the transparency and accountability in the public sector, namely through the use of an open tender system.

For example, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik has just revealed that all bids submitted for new power plants, including those by Tenaga Nasional, will from now have to go through open tender. Although this will only apply to new tenders, it is a change from the previous system where selected companies submit their bids to the Economic Planning Unit which then makes its recommendation to the government.

On the punitive aspect, he said that he had given a free hand to the Anti-Corruption Agency to carry out its tasks, pointing out that the agency had made more arrests last year.

Abdullah emphasised that he would not make more arrests and prosecutions to raise his popularity as he subscribed to the doctrine of "innocent until proven guilty" and he could not interfere in the power of arrests of the ACA.

While public opinion is more concerned with arrests and convictions, it cannot be denied that elected representatives have never been so closely watched. The media has published prominent reports on indiscriminate development of land and, in some cases, questionable approval of land for powerful political individuals.

During a recent discussion with editors, Abdullah said leaders were aware that they were being "watched and scrutinised", and that he believed they would be careful with their actions.

But at the same time, it would also be wrong to go on a witch-hunt against politicians or businessmen on the premise of unproven allegations.  Abdullah has correctly cautioned the media about being quick "to capitalise on the public's curiosity and fascination".

In cases where the ACA has cleared those being investigated, it should be made known to ensure that the media and other interested parties have an accurate picture. That would also be helpful to the reputation of the person being probed.

But I beg to differ with the Prime Minister on the question of offering better wages to civil servants to help fight corruption. Abdullah said that if a person was corrupt, he would always be corrupt, even if he had millions in his pocket.

The civil servants in Hong Kong and Singapore are among the best paid in the world. Both economies have a reputation of having a clean and efficient civil service.

By offering better wages to our civil servants, it will attract the best to join the service. A well-salaried officer is unlikely to jeopardise his career and dignity by taking bribes.

Many of our enforcement officers, including police constables, earn less than RM1,000 a month. And the honest ones, especially those in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru, have to take a second job to feed their families. A trip to a fast-food outlet, which many of us take for granted, is regarded as a luxury for some policemen and their families.

The temptation for the lower and middle ranking civil servants, who have to deal with the public, will always be there.  Some of these officers have even asked sarcastically whether it was wrong to accept a small amount when "big fishes" seemed to have escaped, in their bid to justify their actions.

The government must certainly examine the root problems faced by our civil servants, especially those in the lower ranks, if we wish to tackle corruption effectively.

But Malaysians must be realistic about the fight against corruption. Let's not expect the Abdullah Administration to change the system overnight after just one year in office but we will back him to push his agenda.

For a start, the ministry will draw up a list of schools which are
100 years and above and which have produced students who have excelled
both in the classroom and outside.

The announcement has sparked
off a lot of excitement among former students of well-known schools
like St Xavier's Institution in Penang, the Methodist Girls School in
Malacca and the St Michael's Institution in Ipoh.

Unlike the
newer schools which are now named after districts and roads, old
schools like these had history and tradition and the students show
their loyalty and pride. The St Francis Institution in Malacca, for
example, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

My alma
mater, SXI, started off as an attap hut which was destroyed
during  World World II. The 153-year-old school brings fond
memories to many.

We had much respect for the brothers despite
their uncompromising emphasis on discipline. We never dared complained
to our parents after a good whack from the fearsome Brother Michael
Paulin Blais, nicknamed lau hor or "tiger" in Hokkien.

The teachers were a committed lot and they gave us an all-round education where we were encouraged to develop our own potential.

Many
of us used to distinguish ourselves from our friends in the Chinese
schools because of our strong command in English and, most of all, the
freedom to express ourselves.

Despite being a Catholic school,
the brothers never stopped students from dancing to pop songs in the
annual talent show organised by the school's Literary, Drama and
Debating Society.

The school even had an editorial board which
produced a monthly newsletter. We were allowed to write critical
articles on the school. Many of the writers went on to become
journalists.

SXI produced distinguished sons such as the late
Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, the first Penang Chief Minister, the late
composer Jimmy Boey and the late The Star journalist Datuk Khor Cheang
Kee.

The contemporary leaders include Finance Minister II Tan
Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Deputy Heritage Minister Datuk Wong Kam Hoong
and DAP leader Karpal Singh.

Many of us can still recall the
rivalry we had with the Penang Free School, another premier school. The
intensity of our rivalry sometimes broke out into fights during
football and hockey matches.

But many of these schools have
suffered much neglect over the years, especially due to the lack of
funds. The roof in many parts of SXI, which is the first in the country
run by the La Salle Brothers, is leaking and there is a need to improve
the infrastructure.

Many fund-raising projects have been carried out by the old boys but it has not been easy.

Beyond
the physical problems, there is also the issue of the character and
tradition of these schools. In some schools, with the brothers and
sisters no longer in charge, changes are sometimes made for the
flimsiest of reasons or worse, the prejudices of the principals.

The names of sports houses, usually named after distinguished La Salle educators, for example, have been replaced by "colours".

But
the one thing that makes these schools stand out is the environment
that allowed us to make many good friends of all races and religions.

The brothers never made any attempt to convert us. All they wanted was to make us become educated, loyal and honest Malaysians.