Think hard. Nurulhuda was just a Year Four pupil who was
cycling to a grocery shop before she was raped, sodomised and left in a toilet
of a guardhouse near the village where she lived.

Another victim, nine-year-old schoolgirl Haserawati Saridi, too, was raped and
murdered while she was walking to school in Kampung Rantau near Menggatal in
Sabah on Jan 8.

In Terengganu, an eight-year-old girl was raped by a man in some bushes while
she was on her way to buy groceries in Besut on Jan 13. A villager found the
victim crying by the roadside.

All three victims certainly did not wear revealing or seductive clothing that
provoked rape. Certainly, they were not flirtatious or had behaviour with men
that could be regarded as open invitations for sex.

They were just innocent kids. All these recent cases took place in the rural
heartland. These three horrible crimes took place in villages where the moral
fibre is still regarded as strong.

If we listen to our self-appointed guardians of morality, they would simply
point their fingers at women as the contributing factor for increasing rapes,
besides moral decadence and Western influences.

The excesses in our cities, as some of our simplistic and ignorant politicians
would like us to believe, is the cause of the increasing sex crimes. So, we hear
calls to ban concerts by provocatively dressed singers and proposals to impose
dress codes.

Such arguments, however, do nothing to prevent rapes but only serve to further
victimise rape victims. Women, in some cases, have been held responsible for
the sexual behaviour of these rapists.

It's a case of the padan muka (they asked for it) attitude and so, the weirdos
who get sexually aroused by looking at a woman's armpit or her hairdo, are
spared the blame.

There is also this myth that women only get raped after they readily accept
drinks or rides from total strangers at nightspots or shopping complexes. I am
not saying that rapes don't happen after such careless liaisons but research
has shown that even in our neighbourhoods, no one is spared.

For that matter, the villages have continued to be in the news for sex crimes.
In 2002, Felda settlers found themselves in the news for rape and incest rather
than their agricultural abilities.

Settler Shari Mohd Shariff, 41, was sentenced to 12 years' jail and 12 strokes
of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to two counts of raping his 12-year-old
daughter at their Felda Serting Tiga, Air Hitam, home.

We will never be able to ascertain the causes of sex crimes in rural areas
where the religious foundation is said to be strong.

In 2001, police reported that crime rates shot up in Terengganu, which saw a
30.8% rise, and in Kelantan, which had a 12.3% jump, despite the imposition of
moral rules and hudud laws by the leaders of the two states.

Between 2000 and 2003, Selangor registered the highest number of reported rape
cases at 216, followed by states with strong rural bases such as Johor (194),
Kedah (110), Sabah (109), Perak (91) and Sarawak (81). Kuala Lumpur, for all
its so-called avenues of vice, had 67 cases against Kelantan's 52 and
Terengganu's 48.

The cynics among some of us would say that the sometimes-repressive environment
in rural areas might have worsened things. Pent-up frustrations, one might
say.

Interestingly, research by the Consumers Association of Penang between 1985 and
1988 showed that for pre-puberty girls, their attackers included their
neighbours and schoolmates. Certainly not total strangers.

But the most important point is that these pre-puberty victims were too young
to be in any position to secure the attention of their male attackers. They
were just minding their own business when they were accosted.

The two youngest victims in the study, published as a book titled Rape in
Malaysia, were five-year-olds. The most brutal case was in 1987 and the victim
was nine-year-old Ang May Hong, who was raped and murdered on her way to buy
breakfast one morning. Her father found her body three hours later in an empty
house not far from her Jalan Ipoh house in Kuala Lumpur.

In the same year, seven-year-old Chong Ser Ling was sleeping beside her mother
one night when she was abducted and raped in an adjoining house. She died on
her way to hospital – the rapist was a childhood friend of Ser Ling's
father.

All the laws and penalties in Malaysia would not make any difference if
Malaysian men, including some of our politicians, regard women as mere sexual
objects or playthings for men.

We must emphasise the point that there seems to be a perception that only
"certain" women are likely to be raped. The fact is that pre-puberty girls and
even grandmothers have been raped in Malaysia.

Our lawmakers can also look at countries such as Australia, Canada, Britain and
New Zealand which have revised their rape laws and the handling of such
cases.

Then, there is the aspect of making it easier for rape victims, who are in
emotional and psychological shock, to lodge reports against their attackers at
police stations or hospitals.

But all the promises and pledges of our leaders should not end even if the
media no longer put rape news on the front pages. Just remember – such sexual
assaults can happen to our daughters, sisters or mothers when they are out on
the streets today.

Although the two-time Grammy Awards winner can still
perform to a sell-out crowd, she has to do more in the face of heavy
competition from newcomers such as Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Britney
Spears.

Regarded as the best-selling female performer of all time, Carey has shed more
of her skimpy clothes in her videos and continued to retain most of her male
admirers, including those PAS members who must have been secretly watching the
clips.

If it's all about sexy singers, the majority of us would rather watch Kylie
Minogue or Shakira, Being sexy, however, does not mean being erotic, lewd and
obscene. Anggun, Ning Baizura and Ella are considered to be sexy by many,
regardless of whether they are men or women, but they are properly
dressed.

We like Carey simply because she is a good vocalist. She also composes her
songs, and with 15 hit singles under her belt, she certainly has talent. She is
proud of her physical assets and flaunts them much more than she ought to, but
we believe she is sensible enough to abide by the conditions spelt out to her
by the Malaysian authorities for her Feb 22 concert here.

After all, she is scheduled to perform in Jakarta on Feb 15, Beirut on Feb 24
and Dubai on Feb 26 – all three cities with predominantly Muslim populations –
as part of her world tour.

It is understood that Singapore, well aware of the tourism gains from such a concert,
tried very hard to get her to sing there but she picked Kuala Lumpur over the
island republic.

Last week, Federal Territory PAS Youth deputy chief Ahmad Sabki Yusof protested
against the concert, saying it was untimely and that Carey was known for her
sexy and provocative dressing. PAS could not accept her "immoral performance",
he said. Criticising the Government for allowing such an "obscene act", he said
her concert was not suitable for the people.

PAS was also unhappy that the Government allowed Linkin Park to perform here
recently.

Malaysians should be familiar with the stance adopted by PAS. In the name of
religion, they have played moral guardians again. Not only have they protested
against anything Western, they have banned mak yong and wayang kulit, very much
part of the Malay culture, supposedly because of Hindu influences.

Years ago, students aligned to PAS staged a protest at Universiti Malaya
against a concert by jazz queen Sheila Majid and also at Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia for holding an Alleycats concert. The argument then was that campuses
should not be venues for pop concerts. If so, what about PAS politicians
preaching at these campuses?

In Terengganu, the PAS government has banned Indian dances for Deepavali
celebrations on the grounds that they involved female and male dancers. A
social dance for senior elders, organised by the state MCA, also ran into
trouble.

PAS leaders, in their eagerness to embrace the Arab culture, have unfortunately
gone overboard in the name of religion. To put down their opponents, the PAS
leaders brand them as Jews and anti-Islam.

They have used such arguments for far too long, and moderate Malaysians should
not allow them to intimidate us with such baseless allegations. Non-Muslims
should not let these mullahs dictate what we should see and what we should
wear.

The Terengganu government tried to impose a dress code on non-Muslims but has
since backtracked, because we will not allow ourselves to be subjected to the
theocratic rule of PAS.

Not all Arab women in their home countries wear the veil, as PAS politicians
would want us to believe. Just tune in to the Arab Radio Television (ART)
channel in Astro and you will see what I mean. The broadcasters in ART and
Al-Jazeera are mostly blondes, stylish and contemporary. ART is a 24-hour
general entertainment channel broadcasting from Egypt to the Middle East and
some parts of Australia.

We cannot allow politicians in the guise of theologians, irrespective of their
religion, to run Malaysia. We have a Federal Constitution with secular laws,
which forms the foundation of this country – and it should remain that way. Any
effort, big or small, to chip away this foundation must be stopped.

Moderate Malaysians should ignore the protest by PAS against the Mariah Carey
concert. PAS is living in the past and is simply passe.

He also did not want someone with political ambitions,
with an eye for popularity, who would probably build up his own war chest.
Anyone with these ideas in mind would probably expose himself to all kinds of
allegations and suspicions.

In short, Abdullah – who has built an image as Mr Clean and has made the war
against corruption the cornerstone of his policies – does not want a politician
at the Finance Ministry who will be responsible for approving contracts and
projects to businessmen.

Since assuming office as Prime Minister, Abdullah has repeatedly stressed the
importance of prudent fiscal policies and the management of public spending by
putting off non-priority projects. He has emphasised the rule of law,
transparency and corporate governance.

By promoting economic adviser Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop to Second Finance
Minister, Abdullah will be assured of a person who can devote his time and
attention to the economy.

The former Bank Negara adviser is best known for his role in helping Malaysia
get rid of the scourge of currency speculators during the Asian financial year
crisis of 1997-98 by imposing selective capital controls and pegging the
ringgit.

He was instrumental in laying the groundwork for Islamic banking in Malaysia, a
model being emulated by a number of Islamic countries, and also responsible for
setting up Valuecap Sdn Bhd, an investment agency whose aim is to buy shares of
undervalued companies with good growth potential in the Kuala Lumpur Stock
Exchange.

Nor Mohamed's appointment has been well received by the business community,
which has been complaining about the need for more transparency in the Finance
Ministry for the past one year.

Regarded by businessmen as market-savvy and clean, they hope to see Nor Mohamed
bring positive changes. Since last week, the KLSE has received favourably the
appointment of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Deputy Prime Minister and the
other Cabinet changes.

At private meetings with senior political leaders, key corporate leaders have
called for more check and balance in the ministry, which handles the purse
strings of the country. Without doubt, the Prime Minister has taken these
sentiments seriously.

Nor Mohamad, who studied at St Xavier's Institution and Universiti Malaya, was
sworn in as senator on Thursday but he would not have to contest the next
general election, speculated to be in March or April.

Much is expected of Nor Mohamed. Malaysians hope he will carry out personnel
changes in the Finance Ministry to boost efficiency and even credibility.

As a vital ministry in the government, it needs people of high integrity. Those
whose image has been tarnished should have no place in the ministry. They
should be transferred out, retired or have their contracts terminated.

In short, Nor Mohamed needs to carry out a clean-up job in the ministry.
Malaysians have great confidence in Nor Mohamed, who has an impeccable
reputation as a trouble-shooter, and with him as Second Finance Minister we
believe he will carry out Abdullah's policy of transparency and corporate
governance.

Malaysians also hope the Second Finance Minister will review the manner in
which contracts have been given through negotiations instead of open
tender.

Nor Mohamed will be able to provide sound advice to Abdullah on the need to
re-look at how we have committed ourselves to expensive projects, well above
the amount budgeted under the Eighth Malaysia Plan. Surely, something isn't
right somewhere.

With his solid track record, we can expect positive changes at the Treasury
over the coming weeks.

We are not talking about isolated cases involving rape or
murder in basement car parks, apartments or dark places but petty crimes –
which seem to have increased in recent years – within our midst.

Worse, when police reports are made, the victims are sometimes told that very
little can be done because the chances are slim in arresting the culprit and
recovering the stolen item. These are not very encouraging words from the
police.

There are plenty of reasons why the image of our police force has taken a
knock. In all fairness, our police officers have performed well in solving
serious crimes and have done splendidly in keeping Malaysia peaceful.

But they score few points when it comes to combating crime, which affects most
people.

While the number of cases last year dropped to 149,042 from 156,469 in 2001,
most Malaysians still do not feel they are living in a safer environment or
that our police are doing a good job.

The public perception is that there are many corrupt policemen in the force.
When they see a motorist being stopped by policemen by the roadside, the first
thing that enters the mind of Malaysians is the mata-mata will likely ask for
money to settle a traffic offence, even though they are checking the identity
of the motorist for anti-crime purposes.

That's how bad the image of the police force is. The rakyat, sad to say, also
think that our policemen are indifferent to public needs.

Complaints to the Prime Minister's Office have also come from investors,
particularly the large Taiwanese community here, who are upset by the declining
quality of law and order in Malaysia.

That, of course, makes it difficult to sell Malaysia as a safe place for
investment. If we want foreigners to study in Malaysia, parents must be
convinced that it is safe for their children to stay here.

Rather than moan and groan about the sad state of affairs, Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has taken the right step in ordering the setting up
of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

He has heard plentiful stories about the force and as Home Minister – the
police are under his command – he must look into overhauling it. First, he
needs to know what has gone wrong.

The setting up of the commission reflects the Government's full commitment
toward rehabilitating the image of the force and restoring public confidence in
it.

The review, Abdullah said, would involve police procedures to meet present
needs and fulfil public expectations.

Graft among police personnel could affect the integrity of the whole force and
thus all complaints of bribery involving its members must be investigated
speedily, thoroughly and fairly.

The new Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Omar, I am given to
understand, is known for his serious commitment to discipline and fighting
graft. He will certainly be of great help to Abdullah in giving the police
force a new image.

Bakri has responded speedily to the need to beef up the force by asking for
6,000 CID officers and has drawn up a crime-prevention plan.

But it must be emphasised that the commission is not on a fault-finding mission
but a fact-finding one. We must know what has gone wrong, in a fair and
objective manner, for us to rectify the mistakes.

For example, we must look into the welfare of our policemen. Their salaries,
among the lowest in the region, need to be looked into.

If the salaries are attractive, we will get good, qualified and educated people
entering the force. It will go a long way in fighting corruption and instilling
professionalism.

The force must also seriously consider expanding the size of its volunteer unit.
Unlike Singapore where policing is part of its national service, Malaysia
relies entirely on full-timers.

A bigger volunteer corps can help increase the number of beat patrols. Our
policemen alone cannot walk all the neighbourhoods.

The presence of policemen in uniform is always a deterrent in fighting crime.
Now we find many empty police pondok probably because of manpower shortage.

Using volunteers will also attract more Chinese and Indians to join the force,
as many have done through Rela and other civil defence corps.

More police cadet units should be set up in schools to instil the love for the
police force and keeping Malaysia safe. This is one area where the Malaysian
Crime Prevention Society, the police and the Education Ministry could help out.

Over the next two months, we can expect the political
tempo to pick up.

If the general election is to be held by March or April,
then the various political parties must begin their campaigning by next month.
Abdullah, as Barisan Nasional chairman, has already visited most states since
taking over.

It can be considered the first round of the nationwide
tour that he must make before the polls. Besides gauging the mood on the ground
first-hand and meeting Barisan state leaders, especially those from Umno, he
would also have the opportunity to speak directly to the voters.

That aside, the five-year term for the Barisan government
in Sabah ends in March and elections must be held within
60 days.

It is most likely that the Sabah
elections would be held simultaneously with the general election. Up for grabs
will be 60 state and 25 parliamentary seats.

Over the past months, Abdullah has met state leaders to
hear their assessment reports at the Umno management meeting.

Most of them painted rosy pictures of the ground
sentiments to show that they are doing their job but Abdullah has shocked these
politicians with reports from alternative sources.

At times, the mood is very much different from what they
want Abdullah to hear.

There will be more of such meetings over the coming
months as Umno leaders chart strategies to win over constituencies, that are
still deemed to be difficult, before going to the polls.

But Abdullah cannot wait too long. His popularity is at
an all-time high at this point. His numerous populist approaches have endeared
him to the people and he must seize the opportunity to call for elections and
earn his mandate soon.

As an experienced politician, Abdullah surely knows all
this. It is a matter of choosing the right date for the polls. By Jan 31, he
would have completed his first 100 days in office.

The electorate's mood so far is certainly advantageous to
Barisan. There are no strong issues that can generate enough emotion to build
up anti-establishment sentiment.

The component parties of Barisan, which will definitely
ride on the popularity of Abdullah, have remained solidly united. The MCA,
which is the coalition's second largest party, has put its problems behind and
has found a new purpose under its younger leaders.

They have put the house in order and the direction is
clearer. They have also brought freshness to the party and have earned the
respect of the community.

While talk of an MCA-Gerakan merger seems like a mirage,
it is another step towards co-operation between the two Chinese-based parties
whose relationship has been rocky at times because of their rivalry.

In 1985, talk of a merger never got further than the
formation of an MCA-Gerakan joint council. But circumstances have changed, with
a new set of leaders from both sides – and try they must, for the larger
interest of the shrinking community.

Except for Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, which is caught in
a leadership tussle, the rest of the parties are ready for elections. It will
not be difficult for Abdullah to get the two factions to sit down to settle
their differences.

The leadership has so far stayed out of the fight but the
time has come for Abdullah to intervene and put an end to what is nothing more
than a power struggle, in the name of the Iban community.

The only real contest for Barisan is from PAS. This
coming election is surely one where the voters have made up their minds. There
is hardly any point in PAS trying to win non-Muslim votes.

In 1999, the DAP paid a terrible price for partnering
with PAS. Its top leaders all suffered disastrous defeats, especially in Penang,
for that decision.

Until now, the Chinese community still cannot forgive the
DAP. Its leaders are trying hard to recover lost ground by criticising their
former ally but their polls pact is still fresh in people's minds.

The resignations of Terengganu DAP leaders, in order to
keep their government positions in Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's state
government, is certainly not evidence of the Chinese supporting the Islamic
state policy, as PAS leaders are claiming.

In the 1999 polls, independent candidate Ng Chai Heng
managed only 187 votes in a three-way fight for the Bandar state seat. Barisan
candidate Wong Foon Meng, from the MCA, got 6,245 votes while Mohd Azmi Lop
Yusuf of PAS polled 6,756 votes. The majority was 511 votes with 211 spoilt
votes.

For some reason, Ng found his way back to the DAP after
the polls and even got himself appointed as state DAP secretary. Hadi also
picked him as his assistant for non-Muslim affairs. Despite his miserable
performance, PAS has portrayed him as the community's voice.

Worse, the DAP leadership allowed him to keep his post,
even after the party had severed ties with PAS for two years.

But many have pointed out the actual reason for the
readiness of these PAS appointees to dump the DAP. The state constitution,
following amendments by PAS, provides for the nomination of assemblymen from
minority and women's groups.

Ng and his supporters obviously see the carrots dangling
in front of them by PAS.

As for Parti Keadilan Nasional, no one is quite sure what
the party represents besides seeking the early release of Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim. It continues to be vague on many national issues; worse, it is often
reluctant to offend PAS even on issues that clearly infringes on the rights of
non-Muslims and women.

By next week, Malaysians can be assured that the momentum
for election campaigning would pick up once the year-end celebrations come to
an end – and that 2004 will be another exciting year.

I arrived in London
a day after Saddam was caught like a rat. There was near hysteria in the
British capital.

Even the conservative broadsheets sounded like
supermarket tabloids, with the same headlines and blown-up picture of Saddam on
their front pages.

Saddam was ridiculed by almost all the news commentators
for not having the guts to kill himself. One newspaper speculated that Saddam
would be executed by July.

While Bush and Blair differ over whether Saddam should
get the death sentence, they agreed that Saddam should be tried by fellow
Iraqis.

They don't seem keen in letting the International Court
of Justice in the Hague decide on
the fate of Saddam, saying the Iraqis are capable of a fair trial, but many
have questioned the wisdom of handing Saddam to his political enemies.

It is strange that the fate of Saddam should be decided
by Iraqis when it was the Americans who overthrew and captured him.

There has been speculation that the Americans do not want
Saddam to turn the court into a theatre where he would probably project himself
as a victim of American oppression in the Arab world. He would probably play
the religious card to garner support from Muslims worldwide.

In the case of Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic, the
world had to cope with a long-winded, expensive and unending process.

Bush certainly wouldn't have the patience because he has
an election coming up, while Blair must check his declining popularity.

Saddam must have seen how Milosevic defended himself
effectively against the prosecutors.

Saddam may even bring up evidence of how the US
worked with him to attack Iran,
which would be potentially embarrassing. The same fears are probably being felt
by the Arab allies.

More importantly, the world is not going to be a safer
and better place with the arrest of Saddam. A day after his arrest, it was
business as usual for terrorists who launched another round of bombings.

Until Bush re-examines his policies in the Middle
East, nothing will change. That is the root cause of the problem,
which he unfortunately is not willing to admit.

Let's not forget that Osama bin Laden has yet to be
arrested; even if he is, his web of terror will not disappear.

Bush and Blair have received their Christmas gifts but
the US-led troops won't be home for Christmas this year – that's for sure.

He has stressed that the policies of the Barisan Nasional
government would remain, but things that need to be changed would be changed.
Nothing is cast in stone, in his own words.

Last week, he told Malaysians that he was the country's number one servant to
the nation. He did not say he was he was the number one political master and
neither did he say that he was the boss of the Cabinet.

He said he was not seeking personal glory and that the fight against
corruption, which has been the hallmark of his administration, would be the
main areas of priority.

Malaysians, he said, did not want to have a reputation as a corrupt country and
the country had to prove that "we are incorruptible".

Events over the past one week have put the spotlight on the role of the
Anti-Corruption Agency.

Rather unfortunately, it is still regarded by the powerful and influential
merely as a government agency which is answerable to the government. To the
ordinary people, it lacks clout and autonomy.

Those who are being investigated have rightly pointed out that the ACA should
carry out its investigations quickly and that the Attorney-General should also
not drag his feet.

Casting aspersions upon the integrity of a leader can do considerable damage to
the image of the person. The only way to put an end to innuendoes and
insinuations of this sort is either to charge the person in court quickly or
clear his name.

Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has every reason to be
upset, being the subject of investigations.

It is correct for Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to clarify that
the ACA found no truth in the claim about the 6,000 taxi permits being issued
to one company. The probe is now centred on the issuance of 1,200 taxi permits
to seven companies.

The ACA, on the other hand, must be commended for its readiness to speak to the
press over the past weeks instead of being shrouded in secrecy.

No doubt the ACA needs confidentiality in carrying out its work, particularly
when it is still gathering evidence, but by adopting a high profile approach,
it would be seen as taking a more pro-active stand.

Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was also upset with the ACA
for investigating the award of a RM1.5mil timber concession to a company owned
by a 26-year-old woman.

The controversies over the procedures and functions of the ACA are certainly
good reasons for the need to increase public awareness of the fight against this
social cancer.

The time has come for the leadership to seriously consider making the ACA truly
independent by having it answerable to Parliament and not just the
Executive.

More funds should be allocated to the ACA to enable it to be staffed with professional
people with expertise in various fields and disciplines to deal with corruption
and sophisticated white-collar crime.

It may not happen overnight and it would be unfair to impose such a demand on
the young administration, whose hands are already full. Gradual changes are
also more effective in the long run.

Certainly, it is easy to make an allegation against a certain politician for
corruption but proving it is not easy.

Without the skills of competent accountants, auditors and lawyers, it will be
difficult to comprehend the complexities involved in many business deals tied
up with suspected kickbacks. To expose such wrongdoings effectively, the ACA
needs specialists in its trouble-shooting tasks but that can only be possible
if it is able to recruit such qualified people.

Politicians, who are being investigated by the ACA, end up getting prominent
press coverage because they are public figures.

No one asked them to be politicians, in the first place. After claiming to be
people of high integrity and morals, they must be prepared to face the
mudslinging that comes with the job.

There is no such thing as only positive news coverage as Malaysia
is not a communist country and if we want to have more democratic space, then
the press needs to inform the public effectively about the fight against
corruption.

Politicians must understand that they have been voted in by the people to serve
the people. It is not a licence to enrich themselves.

They may be Yang Berhormats but they are not above the law. They are also not
above criticism.

Certainly, our Ministers and Members of Parliament are not political masters
although many are politically powerful.

It is time to get over this master-servant mindset because the ultimate boss is
the rakyat, who will decide their future during the elections.

Corruption, he said, "interferes with the smooth running
of the government, interferes with the implementation of things we want to do,
and creates problems in the public delivery system".

These are strong words. That was not all – he promised to make the
Anti-Corruption Agency "strong" under his leadership and vowed to make the ACA
work faster and harder.

Last week, he wanted Malaysia
to do two things, as a follow-up to his pledge to clean up Malaysia.
He called for the setting up of a regional anti-corruption agency as well
agreeing to sign the United Nations Anti-Corruption Convention, thereby
committing Malaysia
to fighting the scourge through domestic laws and international
cooperation.

By signing the convention on Dec 9 in Mexico,
Malaysia has
taken the fight against graft another step further.

The treaty, together with the United Nations Convention Against Transnational
Organised Crime, provides the international community with several tools for
policing and prosecuting corruption and crime on a global scale such as money
laundering.

But more importantly, we need to support Abdullah in promoting corporate
governance. Requiring company directors to attend courses on business ethics
amounts to nothing if the leadership continues to give special treatment to a
handful of businessmen through direct negotiations.

Every Malaysian businessman deserves a chance in bidding for a contract. It is
only through an open contract that the government can ensure accountability,
healthy competition and to ensure that the best and most qualified man
wins.

That is the manner that businesses should be carried out in Malaysia
if we want to hold our heads high. Rules cannot be changed mid-stream or when a
deal has been concluded. A gentleman's handshake used to be good enough, but
now, even with a signed agreement, no one is quite sure.

Such fickle-mindedness tarnishes our reputation, even if everything is legally
carried out. While the leadership must be allowed a free hand to decide on
awarding contracts to certain companies and individuals in exceptional cases,
Abdullah must certainly take a fresh look at our business practices and ensure
that the economic cake will be enjoyed by as many businessmen as
possible.

At the micro level, we continue to hear ordinary Malaysians complaining about
corrupt enforcement officers. The crooked officers, in the words of the Prime
Minister, are the ones who interfere with the daily lives of people trying to
eke out a living.

These would include van drivers or immigrant workers being stopped by the
roadside by enforcement officers.

Such checks are necessary if these enforcement officers are serious about
combating crime but it is another thing if it leads to other matters of a
criminal nature.

For members of the public who have been suffering silently for years,
Abdullah's fight against corruption is certainly refreshing. At the same time,
Malaysians are aware that they cannot have unrealistic expectations.

Last week, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung suggested that traffic
police be given the authority to fine traffic offenders on the spot.

He said policemen should have the right to issue receipts to errant motorists
once they paid the fine, adding that a maximum fine of RM300 be imposed on
traffic offenders and that they should not be given any discount.

No one can doubt Chor's seriousness and commitment in wanting better
enforcement by the police to help reduce road accidents in the short term but
not many Malaysians are likely to support Chor's proposal.

Most Malaysians have had experiences, at some time or another, with our traffic
policemen when they are stopped along highways. We have heard enough
allegations of policemen who asked motorists how they want "to settle" their
offences.

If they opt to pay the full amount of the summons, these crooked policemen
would discourage these motorists by saying that they would have to go to the
courts at the place where they committed the offence.

At least, those are the stories many of us keep hearing from our friends,
colleagues and relatives. I am sure the top police officials would have heard
the same stories unless they want to claim these cases do not exist.

Of course, there are plenty of good policemen, who brave the hot sun and rain
daily, to keep the traffic flowing. These unsung heroes, I believe, make up the
majority of our traffic policemen.

Unfortunately, their good work has been tarnished by policemen who are prepared
to sacrifice their dignity and pride for a few red notes. I am sorry to say
that the public perception of our traffic policemen is the result of this small
group of cops.

Allowing traffic cops to issue receipts on the spot is not going to deter
motorists from committing offences. In fact, it could get worse as dirty
policemen would demand for more from now.

The best way is still to send the summons to the motorist. Speed traps, manned
by policemen, often create unnecessary jams, and they lead to dangerous
situations along highways.

The police, with the help of the Road Transport Department, could stop renewing
the driving licences of offenders who refuse to pay these summonses. The
traffic police, with the support of the media, should also visit these
offenders at their homes if they keep ignoring the law.

Enough warnings have been given by Mr Nice Guy – expect real action from
now.

Many Penangites, especially from Chung
Ling High School
and Han Chiang
High School, have ended up studying
in Taiwan
universities, mostly in engineering and computer science.

The food is also similar: I found oh chean (fried oyster omelette), bah kut teh
and mua chee (rice ball with peanuts) in almost every night market.

All these commonalities made travelling in Taipei
very easy for me.

Besides conversing in Hokkien with officials of the Government Information
Office – the equivalent of our Information Ministry – I had the opportunity to
exchange pleasantries with President Chen Shui-bian in the dialect during the
recent National Day celebrations.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office information division director Cecilia Chang
said it was a shame I had visited many cities in China
but not Taiwan
(the so-called renegade province of China).

Besides, it was the third invitation from the Taiwan
government and I was reluctant to turn it down again, especially when Ms Chang
was ending her three-year posting in Kuala Lumpur.
I had turned down the second invitation earlier this year when Taiwan
was hit by SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which took 84 lives.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office is the de facto embassy in KL as Malaysia
does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
However, bilateral trade between the two sides rose 2.4% to more than RM9.1bil
in the first four months of this year, with Malaysia
enjoying a trade surplus of about RM3bil last year.

Together with several South American, Caribbean and
African journalists, we were invited to stay for a week in Taipei
in conjunction with the National Day celebrations on Oct 10, dubbed the
Double-Ten bash.

My first taste of the kind of diplomatic treatment meted out to officials like
Chang in Kuala Lumpur came when I
attended a dinner hosted by the Information Minister Huang Hwei-Chen.

Together with Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri from the Malaysian Friendship and Trade
Centre, we were seated at one of the back tables of the posh hotel to signify
our diplomatic status – or the lack of it. At the same table were officials
from Singapore,
Switzerland and
Germany,
countries in the same situation.

On the main table, together with minister Huang, were editors and diplomats
from some of the 26 nations that recognise Taiwan.
They were mostly small, developing African and Latin American nations that
receive generous amounts of aid in exchange for their support.

Despite the celebrations, there was a dampener for the Taiwanese that night.
Word had gone around that Liberia
would be severing ties with Taiwan
and would announce it formally after Oct 10. Three days later, the announcement
came.

Taiwan
immediately accused China
of using its influence in the United Nations to pressure Liberia,
saying China
had threatened to interfere in the budget for UN peacekeepers if the West
African country did not sever ties with Taiwan.

During my one week's stay, the daily briefings often included some China-bashing,
which confused some of the Latin American and African journalists because the
Taiwanese were, at the same time, telling them the staggering amount of
investments they had put in mainland China.
In addition, more than three million Taiwanese travelled to the mainland last
year, making China
the top tourist spot for the islanders.

With the presidential election likely to be called in March, Chen's Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) has started beating the war drums to win votes,
including "creating a new constitution in 2006" and vowing to "walk our own
Taiwan road". The Constitution is over 50 years old, approved at a time when
Kuomintang ruled mainland China.

Speaking in Hokkien to win the hearts of the grassroots, he has talked about
changing the island's name from the Republic of China to Taiwan,
saying "Taiwan
is not a province of one country nor is it a state of another."

Chen, who would be defending his post, called the one-China principle "abnormal
thinking that should not exist, it should be corrected" and said "there is only
one China and
one Taiwan."

Since then, he has raised the stakes with even stronger remarks from his
officials but the Taiwanese media has downplayed such outbursts, concentrating
on calls for dialogue instead.

Such sabre-rattling has no doubt irked China,
and many Taiwanese, especially those born in mainland China
or have investments there, are worried.

Overseas Chinese, including the community's leaders in Malaysia,
have expressed their uneasiness over the tension, particularly the push by Chen
for a referendum.

US-trained political scientist Dr Alexander Huang, vice-chairman of the
Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's
top mainland policy-making body, has added fuel to the fire. With his American
drawl and stinging criticism of China
at press briefings, Dr Huang could well have stepped out from the White House
with Donald Rumsfeld.

As I left his briefing, a confused journalist from Senegal
asked me why Taiwan
was not putting its money elsewhere if China
was the number one enemy.

The answer is simple: the Chinese are practical. It made sense to invest in China
because of its cheap labour and huge market. The use of a common language and
culture also makes it easier for businessmen from both sides to make
deals.

And as Dr Huang admitted, the Taiwanese and the Chinese have the same blood.
Both are cousins and, cheekily batting an eyelid, he said no one could tell the
future political scenario of China
and Taiwan.

The old guards are gone and the new breed of leaders in Beijing
and Shanghai include those who
studied at American universities with Dr Huang and other Taiwanese
leaders.

But as of now, no one is amused by the growing tension between China
and Taiwan.

They all laughed at me when I told them the policemen
could be working harder now because they were trying to stop Malaysian
motorists from killing themselves during the festive season.

Wake up and stop being politically correct, they retorted when I said these
policemen could have good intentions and were making sure people reach home
safely to meet loved ones during the balik kampung rush.

In short, they are saying these policemen are corrupt and stopping motorists
who are prepared to bribe them. It is an unfair perception but not far off if
many motorists have the same sentiments as my neighbours.

Unfortunately, perception is often more powerful than reality. My neighbours
are generalising and certainly their accusations are unjust to the majority of
policemen who risk their lives daily to keep our streets safe.

But the fact is that many Malaysians believe that corruption is rife in the
police force and it's the reason why the Home Ministry has the highest number of
complaints from the public.

Other government agencies, particularly the local councils, also have the same
image problem. Something must be seriously wrong when the public perceives that
money must exchange hands before applications are approved or expedited.

Worse, we hear members of the public openly telling their friends and family
members – except the Anti-Corruption Agency – how they bribed enforcement
officers and how they sometimes had to carry two wallets, one to show the
mata-mata they only have a few red notes to spare.

If we deny that these corrupt practices do not exist in our daily lives, then
we are fooling ourselves or being plain hypocritical. We are also not heeding
the call of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to tell the
truth.

But Malaysians can rest assured that the new premier is well informed of what
is happening. He has singled out education and corruption as the two most
important issues under his administration – and he needs our support to tackle
them.

No doubt Abdullah will face a lot of obstacles, particularly those cases
involving the politically powerful and influential. He will need time in his
campaign against corruption and excessive expectations. We, too, should be
realistic enough not to expect overnight results.

But change is taking place – and with it comes new hope and fresh ideas.
Besides a new premier, we have a new Inspector-General of Police in Datuk Seri
Bakri Omar, who is regarded as a clean and competent cop.

Bakri's appointment is said to have caused some uneasiness among some quarters
because he does not tolerate corruption and is said to be serious in cleaning
up the force.

The long overdue pay rise for policemen may not necessarily eradicate
corruption, but it will certainly boost their morale and dignity. A comfortable
take-home pay and better perks will help members of the force resist the
temptation of easy money.

Unless we are serious in demanding more transparency from our government
agencies, the cost of doing business in Malaysia
will shoot up because of the need to grease the palms of officials.

Whether it's the purchase of computers for schools, the construction of roads
or any other public projects, Malaysians have a right to demand accountability
because eventually we, as taxpayers, would have to bear the financial
burden.

Investors would also stay away from Malaysia
if they perceive that they have to pay their way through to set up factories
here. We would lose out in terms of competitiveness if such perception
persists.

Corruption is not merely about arresting the takers. The givers are at fault,
too. It takes two hands to clap. Malaysians should not complain about
corruption if they keep on giving.