These groups reportedly fear  that viewing these movies might  bring negative effects on community unity and
the future direction  of the
people.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr  Mahathir
Mohamad, when asked  by the media on
these calls, said  there should be an
investigation of  such programmes to find
out  whether they actually influence  the people.

Dr Mahathir's response is commendable because a knee-jerk reaction would not
provide an accurate picture of the situation.

Any foreign movies, whether  Chinese or
Arabic, should be  checked before they
are shown.

Unlike its neighbours, Malaysia  has been
liberal in its policy on TV  programmes.
Of all the Asean TV  stations, only ours
show movies for  all ethnic and dialect
groups.

Singapore TV stations strictly  enforce a
Chinese language-only  policy, shutting
out the more popular Cantonese versions.

Astro has become popular  among the
Chinese community in  Malaysia because of
its few channels which offer entertainment 
and news programmes from China, 
Taiwan and Hong Kong.

One of its news programmes, tailored after CNN, provides news  from China, Taiwan and Hong  Kong. But like all news programmes, it also
airs events from  all over the
world.

Most of the popular Hong Kong  movies
aired on Astro channels are  also readily
available on video  tape.

For example, many Malaysians  follow the
popular drama serial A  Kindred Spirit on
Astro nightly but  those who can't wait
to find out the  next episode can rent
the entire series from video shops.

The drama, which emphasises  family
values, is more popular  than some of the
martial arts series.

Then there is the popular Journey to the West (II) series which  stresses on good overcoming evil.  Popular among children and  adults, this series is based on popular
Buddhist folklore.

There should not be too much 
generalisation made on the Astro 
programmes, particularly from 
those who do not even watch them.

A more systematic approach, as  suggested
by Dr Mahathir, would  give a clearer
picture of the overall content.

The emphasis should, perhaps,  be on
quality programmes. For example, we can do away with those  old low-budget kung fu movies and  slapstick comedies which are being
shown.

To ensure more viewership of local TV programmes, Astro should  perhaps be directed to set up a  channel solely for local Chinese  programmes, similar to Ria.

Although this will incur additional expenses, it would certainly be a  boost to the local movie industry.

The channel could have Malaysian news programmes, similar to  the Chinese news aired on RTM  and NTV7.

While Malaysians may watch  foreign news,
they would still follow local news as events in the  country directly affect their daily  lives. As the saying goes, all news  is local.

In fact, many Malaysians follow  CNN but
they also follow other  news programmes
for regional  content.

With the availability of the Internet and our promotion of the Multimedia Super
Corridor, it would be  sad if we take a
step backward.  The advance of the
multimedia and  the information age can
no longer  be stopped.

There will always be alternatives if curbs are imposed, even  with the best intentions. It is better  for the Government to take advantage of its
existing resources and  tools, including
Astro, than to  place restrictions.

PAS, for example, has reportedly  said it
would invest in Internet  television to
overcome the restrictions on its newsletter Harakah.  The party plans to telecast interviews with
party leaders and special reports around the clock.

PAS said it was pushing itself  further
into the Internet age, not  only in
making Harakah more attractive on the Net but also in entering the world of
Internet TV.

In the current controversy over  Astro,
wrong signals should not be  sent to the
Chinese community,  who would be affected
by any  wrong decision.

Their loyalty to the Government  and
country is solid, as reflected in  their
overwhelming backing for  Barisan
Nasional in the recent  general
election.

More foreign movies, including  those
from Asean countries and  Europe, should
be shown by our  TV stations.

To maintain its quality, Bahasa  Malaysia
subtitles should be adopted to open up the minds of viewers.

Singapore, for example, has good 
programmes and should be enjoyed by all Malaysians and not  just Johoreans.

TV stations must take steps to  promote
such programmes as the  world is not just
Hollywood,  Bollywood and Hong
Kong.

NTV7 and TV3, for example, are 
aggressively competing with Astro  
which is good because competition always strengthens quality.

RTM2 and NTV7 should be commended for their Chinese news  bulletins. To capture the viewership of the
Chinese community,  more air time should
be given to  these news programmes.

RTM2's City Focus, a programme on current issues, commands a strong following
because  of its good presentation and
content.

The concern of our policy-makers and TV stations should be to air  quality programmes. If TV programmes are
popular, whether local or foreign, it's simply because  they are well-produced.

This should be the criteria in reviewing Astro's programmes.

A debate on the foreign content  of our
TV programmes is good but  there should
also be some restraint. Moderation is how Malaysians resolve issues and it
should  continue to be so, taking into
account the sensitivities of all 
groups.

In Kelantan, Mentri Besar Datuk  Nik Aziz Nik Mat announced a Chinese-Muslim
as a state executive  councillor.

These are clever public relations  moves
by PAS in its effort to project a gentler and multi-ethnic image.

With their flowing robes and serbans, PAS leaders and their fiery  speeches have never gone down  well with non-Muslims. Their  brand of politics is seen as conservative and
untolerable of the liberal lifestyle.

The DAP and PAS, meanwhile,  have
continued to hold forums to  allow
non-Muslims to hear the  views of PAS
politicians.

It is not something new. Years  ago, PAS
held similar meetings  with
non-Muslims.

During these meetings, participants queried PAS leaders on such  matters as women wearing mini skirts, playing
mahjong and drinking alcohol in pubs. They were 
asked whether non-Muslims had a 
role in government.

PAS and DAP have said that they  are
holding these forums to debunk the fears created by Barisan  Nasional, especially MCA and Gerakan, to
project the two parties as  extremist and
anti-Malay.

Leaders from these two parties  like to
think the Chinese voters  swung against
Barisan Alternatif  because they supposedly
fell prey  to MCA and Gerakan
propaganda  of PAS' intention to set up
an Islamic state.

Politicians, irrespective of their 
beliefs, will not admit their faults. 
The fact is that most Chinese voters do not trust PAS.

And they registered their unhappiness against DAP for working  with PAS and the reformasi movement.

PAS and DAP are now carrying  out damage
control. Their early  start may, in fact,
pay off in the  next elections.

Without doubt, the PAS-DAP forums would enable PAS leaders to  interact with more non-Muslims  and listen to their views.

PAS realises that no political  party can
win the general election  on its own. But
the question is  whether PAS is prepared
to be  more secular and liberal to win
the  backing of non-Muslims.

The Chinese and Indian votes  will
continue to be decisive in future general elections.

But PAS must be consistent.  Their
objection against the Israeli  team
taking part in the World Table Tennis tournament will not win  them votes.

There is no logic in their argument that the team cannot enter  Malaysia because there is no diplomatic
ties.

If we accept the PAS logic, then 
Taiwanese have no business in Malaysia since we have no diplomatic  links with Taipei. Despite their  hostility, Iran reportedly sent its  soccer team to the United States  recently.

If Malaysia is serious about hosting world sporting events, we cannot allow
such archaic sentiments  to
prevail.

PAS also made a fuss of the presence of a US aircraft carrier in  Port Klang because it was purportedly
nuclear-powered. Being nuclear-powered does not mean carrying nuclear
weapons.

It was a case of getting worked  up over
nothing or choosing to ignore certain facts. Nuclear energy  was merely used as a source to  propel the ship.

This is not the first time PAS is 
confused over matters. Last week, 
PAS MPs created a ruckus over the 
millennium celebrations in Parliament, making it sound as if
holding  a party is an unpardonable
vice.

Before that, a PAS MP complained about the Government  staging the Formula One race, suggesting that
it would promote vice.

Barisan Alternatif, especially  PAS, has
argued for a liberal and  open
government. But it needs to  show its
seriousness.

Even in Iran, the people have  voiced
their unhappiness against  fundamentalism
and extremism in  the name of
religion.

The victory of the reformists in  Iran's
parliamentary election  proves that
Iranians can no longer  tolerate living
under an administration which does not tolerate liberalism.

PAS leaders are still fundamentalists. They are certainly not reformers nor
liberals. They may  have made some minor
consessions for non-Muslims, which in itself is important, but they must
try  harder.

Non-Muslims will want to examine PAS policies from a broader  point 
beyond politics, including 
whether the party is capable of 
facing the challenges of a modern 
era.

The former academician would  have probably forgotten what he  advocated. His intentions, although sincere,
was short-sighted.

And that, of course, separates  those who
make things happen and  those who merely
complain.

Twenty years later, TV sets are  so cheap
that they are a common  sight at squatter
colonies.

Even Subang Airport was criticised as a prestigious project when  it was built. Today, as we all know,  it is not big enough to handle the  growing demand for air transport.

As it would be foolish to spend  millions
to upgrade an old airport,  the KL
International Airport was  built  again drawing the usual  loud complaints.

In 1969, when the Gerakan-led  state
government pledged to build  the Penang
Bridge, one former  DAP leader laughed at
the project.

He told his audience at a rally  that he
would jump off the bridge  if it was
built. He has never done  so but he has
“jumped'' political  parties at least
twice.

Motorists who use the Penang  Bridge
today will tell you that it is  not wide
enough. During this Chinese New Year period, an accident  reduced traffic flow on the bridge  to a crawl.

The usual criticisms arose when  the
Sepang Formula One circuit  was built.
One opposition leader  said it was a
waste of money while  a PAS MP claimed it
was to promote vice.

Their unhappiness was the cost  of the
project but they overlooked  the
spill-over effects to the economy, preferring to pick on trivial issues.

The findings of a three-month  economic
impact study, conducted  by Universiti
Malaya, could perhaps shed some light on the positive aspects of the F1.

Over 65% of the spectators were  visitors
to Malaysia, mostly from  Europe,
Australia and Singapore.  They reportedly
took up 64% of  the grandstand tickets
and 33% of  the hillstand and uncovered
grandstand tickets.

More than 74% of the specatators came for the sole purpose of  attending the event while 15%  were on holiday and 8% on business.

Significantly, 71% of the foreign 
spectators said they would come 
back for the next F1 race in Malaysia.

Over 73% of those interviewed  stayed in
four or five-star hotels  for an average
of eight nights.

Of the 83% who travelled by air,  54%
flew with Malaysia Airlines.  The average
total spending for the  visitors was
RM6,730 while locals  spent an average of
RM930.

The figures are certainly impressive. We should also not forget  that the event attracted over 600  million TV viewers via 750 stations  in over 260 countries. Malaysia deserves to
be on the TV screen  worldwide for more
than just its  street
demonstrations.

In September, Malaysia will host  the
last leg of the F1 races. It will  be a
major event for that reason  alone.

The number of viewers and visitors is likely to double; fans would  want to be here to catch the final  lap and celebrate with the champion.

Perhaps the organisers should  consider
inviting politicians who  criticise the
race. They would then  be able to see for
themselves the  positive impact of
F1.

The PAS-led governments in Kelantan and Terengganu may want  to take into account that many of  the F1 visitors travelled to the east  coast for their side holidays besides
enjoying Pangkor, Penang  and
Langkawi.

Instead of running down the F1,  PAS
leaders should be more proactive by competing with other  states to promote tourism in their  states.

They have over eight months to 
aggressively woo F1 fans to spend 
their money in Kelantan and Terengganu and, subsequently, enable  locals to earn tourist dollar.

Let it be a win-win situation instead of wasting much energy walloping the F1
at meaningless ceramahs.

For our F1 organisers, they  should consider
hosting concerts  involving local and
foreign singers  in the run-up to F1
races to take  advantage of the presence
of tourists.

Cultural events could also be  held on
the eve of the race to take  advantage of
the presence of the  huge number of foreign
journalists.

About a month ago, one newspaper from a neighbouring country  ran a front-page report about Malaysia
promoting sports tourism.  The paper said
Malaysia had put  much thought and
planning to host  major golf and motoring
events,  attracting global
attention.

The F1 circuit, it noted, was a  former
palm oil plantation, while  the Gold
World Cup was held at a  disused tin
mine.

The newspaper reported that in  a global
competition, time should  not be wasted
as competition was  intense. That,
perhaps, should set  us thinking. There's
a great deal of  good things going on in
Malaysia.

We only have to get our act together and put our priorities right.  It's the only way if we want to be a  world-class player.

Should that be the case, it means  Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad  and Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad  Badawi will be nominated for the  two posts. The deputy's post has  been left vacant since the expulsion of Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Previously, it was assumed that 
Abdullah, a moderate and conciliatory figure, would be the sole
candidate for the No.2 position.

But now, word is out that some  divisions
are prepared to nominate  Tengku
Razaleigh Hamzah for either of the top two posts.

The names of these rebel divisions have been whispered within  Umno circles and members are  now eagerly waiting for the outcome.

These divisions, according to the 
grapevine, are supposedly headed 
by those who were not picked as 
candidates for the recent general 
election.

Razaleigh himself has not said  anything
about contesting the party elections. Neither has the Gua  Musang division, headed by him,  expressed support for the no-contest
advice.

He has only indicated to those  close to
him that he would travel  round the
country to listen to  views of the
grassroots.

Still, the Kelantan prince has attracted much media attention, who  has been keeping a close watch on  his next political move.

Razaleigh needs 50 nominations  to
contest the president's post. If  he
decides to vie for the deputy's  post,
then he only needs 33 nominations.

That will be his first hurdle.  Once he
has secured the nominations, he would have to win the  support of the 2,000-or-so delegates.

It would not be an easy task.  Having a
fighting chance is one  thing, but being
confident and  comfortable of winning is
another.

However, Razaleigh is taken seriously because he has the stature,  the connection and the ability to  run a well-organised and well funded campaign
to mount a challenge.

Working against him would be  the failure
to win back Kelantan  from PAS in the
general election.  Should Razaleigh
decide to contest  the two top posts, his
detractors  would certainly accuse him of
being ungrateful after having being  allowed
to rejoin Umno.

Razaleigh quit Umno to form  Parti Melayu
Semangat 46 after  failing to unseat Dr
Mahathir in  the 1987 party polls.

The fate of Umno leaders lies in  the
hands of the party delegates.  The 165
divisions will each send 12  delegates
(five appointed, seven  elected) to Kuala
Lumpur on May  11 to cast their
votes.

The division meetings will be  held over
the whole of next month.  The breakdown
of divisions, according to states, are: Perlis (3),  Kedah (15), Perak (23), Penang  (11), Selangor (17), Negri Sembilan  (7), Malacca (5), Johor (20), Kelantan (14),
Terengganu (8), Pahang  (11), Sabah (20),
Labuan (1) and  Kuala Lumpur (10).

The number of divisions is based  on the
number of parliamentary  constituencies
in the peninsula and  Sabah.

Umno elections are closely  watched
because the party president is usually the country's prime  minister. Attention would not be  just on the top posts but also the  second and third tiers of the Umno  leadership.

The main contender for the  three
vice-president's posts will be  Defence
Minister Datuk Seri Najib  Tun Razak, an
incumbent.

The other incumbents are Abdullah, who will vie for the deputy  president's post, and former Selangor Mentri
Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib who announced his decision to defend
his  post.

However, the Selangor Umno liaison committee has said it would  back Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Abu  Hassan Omar for a veep post instead of Mat
Taib.

Still, without the backing of his  own
state, no one is writing off Mat  Taib at
this juncture.

The other serious challengers  are
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri  Syed Hamid
Albar, Johor Mentri  Besar Datuk Abdul
Ghani Othman,  Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
and Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri 
Mohamed Isa Samad.

This time, an unusually large  number of
party leaders have expressed interest in joining the  fray. At the last count, there were  nine of them.

The focus would be on how the  Kubang
Pasu division, led by Dr  Mahathir, and
the Kepala Batas division, headed by Abdullah, make  their choices for the three veep  posts.

It would be particularly tough  for
Abdullah if he is challenged by  Razaleigh.
The choice of his division for the veep posts could possibly have an impact on
the delivery  of votes for him.

Regionalism would be a factor in  the
horse-trading of votes. For example, Perak and Sabah have  much political clout. The two  states, which will send the largest  number of delegates, are being  courted by the contenders.

Promises would be made and  deals struck
between the states  and contestants.
Based on sheer  numbers, some Sabah
divisions  think that Chief Minister
Datuk  Osu Sukam deserves a
vice-president's post.

Umno's 17,000 branches have  been meeting
since Jan 16, and will  elect delegates
to attend the division meeting next month.

In other words, the choice of the 
branches is important. Once the 
elected delegates attend the division meeting, they will have a say  in the nominations for the elections.

No one can say that grassroots  democracy
is not practised in  Umno. The party,
which has 2.7  million members, begins
its process of choosing the party leaders 
from the villages and ends at the 
Putra World Trade Centre in the 
federal capital.

Unlike some parties which do  not
practise direct elections, one to-one contests are carried out at  all levels.

The battle royale is still be two  months
away, but the shadow  fighting has
begun.

It should also draw up a timeframe for  the team to return the loan.

But there is more here than just the 
question of money. The whole country 
was misled into believing a government sanctioned mission accomplished
something it did not.

To put it bluntly, the Malaysian Millennium Jump 2000 skydivers were poles  apart from their target.

The eight members of the team should  not
expect the nation to applaud them for 
landing at Patriot Hills, 1,800km away 
from the intended location  the
goegraphical South Pole  on Jan 1.

The distance between Alor Star and Singapore is only 868km.

One team member even justified: “The 
area is in the South Pole. For example, if  we did not land at the Petronas Twin  Towers but the Royal Selangor Club instead,
we still parachuted over Kuala  Lumpur,
didn't we?''

Fikiran Syndicate's G. Siva Kumar owes 
the Government and all Malaysians an explanation.

He should not blame the Russian co-ordinator at the base camp in Patriot
Hills  for feeding him with the
lie.

His defence was there was only one  phone
line which was monopolised by the 
Russians and that he could not get back to  the Malaysian team to verify the truth.

When The Star called him in Los Angeles, Siva Kumar still maintained there  was a jump.

The fact is that a lot of Malaysians are 
now jumping for being misled.

The controversy started even before  the
team left Malaysia following a report  of
a fall-out between team members. This 
was followed by a denial with threats of a  legal suit.

It is now clear everything was wrong 
from Day One. Malaysians cannot help 
but get the impression that the preparations were insufficient.

Fikiran Syndicate must understand it is 
all right to admit failure. Even if we did  not make it, no one would fault the
team.

There was no pressure on them to succeed and Malaysians understand the
difficulties of a team from a tropical country 
adjusting to sub-zero temperatures.

If the weather had not permitted them  to
jump, it would be foolish for us to expect them to risk their lives.

Besides the bad weather, poor logistical 
management and the breakdown of snow 
buggies were among the reasons for the 
failure.

In a face-saving gesture, team members are now saying they are proud because
the jump qualified them as the first 
Asian team to reach the South pole.

Not many of us will be elated with this 
annoucement. We should have, perhaps, 
settled for a lesser target.

In our frenzy to be the first, the biggest 
and the largest in everything, we seem to  have gone overboard.

It is commendable to strive for excellence, to build the spirit of patrotism
and  to achieve success.

The South Pole jump fiasco, however, 
should not deter Malaysians from going 
for other challenges. No doubt it has been  a damper but we should put that behind  us.

There is no need to review the Malaysia 
Boleh campaign as the country must continue to encourage the people to
strive for  excellence, particularly
among the young.

What we want is to put a stop to the pursuit of aimless targets just to enter
the  book of records.

The South Pole jump controversy is a 
lesson to all of us. The Government will,  from now, be more careful with people  who come to them with various
proposals.

We should check these people's backgrounds and abilities. After giving
them  the loan, sponsorship and the flag,
the job  does not end there.

The Government must keep track of developments of those involved in such a  project, particularly if the project is a
difficult one, to ensure its success.

Malaysians must understand that when  we
announce a feat, it is watched by everyone, including our neighbours.

Our rivals would love to see us fail. In 
fact, the South Pole jump fiasco was given  wide coverage in a neighbouring
country.

If that's not bad enough, some of our 
Malaysian politicians must have jumped 
with joy to see the team flop so they can  take a dig at the Malaysia Boleh
campaign.

But it's okay. There's nothing wrong in 
tumbling once after our string of successes.

But more importantly, the decision should be regarded by
civil servants as another step taken by the Government to improve the working
conditions of the service.

Steps should be taken regularly to make the service more attractive. For
example, teachers, nurses, doctors, policemen and soldiers deserve additional
allowances.

In the case of the police and army, a hazard allowance could be extended to
them.

Although it would mean an additional financial burden to the Government, it
would go a long way in relieving the burden of people who dedicate their lives
to safeguarding the country's security. But more than that, better benefits
would attract better qualified Malaysians to join the civil service.

We cannot deny the civil service has an image problem. In the eyes of those in
the private sector, the civil service lacks dynamism, productivity and
dedication.

Some Malaysians will even argue that civil servants do not deserve the extra
Saturday off, pointing out the malaise affecting the public service.

Government servants, they said, did not have to worry about losing their jobs,
even if they slack in their duties. During a recession, job security
remains.

While workers in the private sector were affected by the high interest rate
imposed on their loans, government servants still enjoyed low-interest rate
loans from the Government.

As a result of such security, many Malaysians said government servants did not
appreciate the Government's ability to turn the economy around.

Such generalisation may be unfair to the majority of the civil servants who are
dedicated, but how the civil service is perceived is important.

Reforms are certainly needed in the service. Improved working conditions must
mean improved work performances. The public demands that as tax payers.

Civil servants must serve the people and must not behave as superiors to them.
Members of the public, who have to deal with civil servants, particularly those
at the counters, often do not have much to praise.

To get good civil servants, reforms are required in the wage structure. That
means better mobility and promotional opportunities. The rank and file,
particularly the non-graduates, should also be given the opportunity to rise up
the ranks.

It cannot be denied there is a great deal of frustration among those in the
middle and lower ranks because they see the zero career prospects in their
jobs.

One area which needs a review must be the New Remuneration Scheme, under which
many have complained about unfair assessment by their superiors.

If there is dissatisfaction over the scheme, then it must be abolished or its
weaknesses rectified.

The scheme, despite its good aims, may have resulted in the opposite and caused
low morale among staff, particularly if these assessments are tied to salary
increments.

There should be greater recognition for hard work, talent and diligence. There
are many civil servants who may not be at the officer level but who have much
to contribute.

Like the private sector, less emphasis on qualifications and more on work
performance could reduce the disparity and gap between non-degree holders and
officers.

There is certainly a need to democratise decision making to encourage greater
participation for quality work.

There is also a need to emphasise creativity as some civil servants see their
jobs as monotonous, resulting in poor performances.

Additional benefits for the civil servants should also come with a serious
commitment to make them feel they have a role and purpose.

A better salary structure would also go a long way in helping to fight corruption.

But, like everything else, our civil servants must understand there is no such
thing as an iron rice bowl.

In Hong Kong, which has one of the best civil service, the staff has been
warned that they would be axed if they perform badly.

The civil service needs to be more sensitive towards public complaints, for a
start.

Recent developments have revealed instances of civil servants getting too
involved in politics, for example. Some were even charged with taking part in
demonstrations.

Some university lecturers were more interested in delivering anti-government
speeches in classrooms than in their lectures. They assumed everyone shared
their political inclinations.

Tax payers are prepared to support rewards for civil servants as they
understand the need for a professional and enthusiastic force.

What tax payers cannot accept is mediocrity.

The opposition parties have  predictably condemned the arrests as an
assault on the rule of  law.

They also linked the arrests to  the
purported erosion of support  for Umno
and dissension within  the party
following its supreme  council proposal
that the top two  posts should not be
contested.

DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang  described the
arrests as a “dark  shadow on Malaysian
democracy  in the start of the new
millennium.''

Many Umno members, particularly at grassroots level, have  called for action against opposition figures
who made unsubstantiated allegations.

There has also been pressure  to ban
Harakah or to restrict the  sale of the
PAS newsletter to  party offices
only.

Umno Youth exco member  Nur Jazlan
Mohamed, for example, said publications must be responsible for what they
report.

He said freedom of expression  did not
mean freedom to slander,  and if no
action was taken, there  would be
publications which  would attempt to push
the line  and publish seditious
articles.

Jazlan's argument would naturally be rebutted by others who  see the action against Harakah  as a move to stifle alternative  views.

It is interesting to note that the 
authorities had not arrested 
these opposition leaders under 
the Internal Security Act.

Rightly or wrongly, the authorities are taking court action  which the Opposition has always  argued for 
produce the evidence in open court and let the  accused defend ourselves.

The message seems to be that  the
Government would no longer  tolerate any
challenge to legislation. Those who break the law  must be prepared to face the  consequences.

By charging them in open  court, the
offenders would be  able to defend
themselves. At  the same time, the
authorities  would have to produce
strong  evidence if they want to win  their cases.

The foreign media has continuously pointed out that the arrests began on
Wednesday, the  day Datuk Seri Dr
Mahathir Mohamad left for a two-week overseas vacation.

That means Deputy Prime  Minister and
Home Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad 
Badawi would be left to handle 
the matter.

Abdullah denied allegations of  a
crackdown, saying a thorough  police
investigation had been  carried out
before the arrests  were made.

He also denied that the action  amounted
to suppression of free  speech. “Anyone
can say what  they want about anything
but  there are also laws. It is necessary
for us to respect the law,''  he
said.

Umno leaders have pointed out  that the
pro-opposition foreign  media have
refused to acknowlege that many opposition leaders who talked about
eroding  support for Umno were rejected  in the elections.

Defending the arrests, government leaders said sedition  charges had been filed against  politicians since the 70s.

There are no special privileges  or
special laws for opposition  leaders,
they said. Being oppositionists does not give them the  right to say anything they want,  including defaming others.

Whatever the argument, the  bigger picture
would be how the  younger voters perceive
the arrests.

There is also the question of  whether it
is wise to arrest the  opposition leaders
and unwittingly give them a new lease of 
life after their defeat in the elections.

The court proceedings would  provide
opposition parties with  publicity, in
the absence of new  issues.

For now, the Government  would have to
convince Malaysians of the necessity to uphold 
the law and that those who speak 
of the rule of law should not 
break the law themselves. Politicians will always claim they are  on the right side.

Voters and politicians alike  should
check the websites set up  by political
parties and the various interest groups.

While mainstream newspapers  have been
sued by Barisan Nasional politicians and businessmen for their reports, it is
amazing how publications and websites offering alternative views  have been able to escape similar  suits.

One reason could be because  those
slandered have refused to  take action,
preferring not to  give these groups more
credibility or simply because these 
groups may not be financially 
sound.

These victimised people also  do not wish
to be accused of stifling the freedom of expression.

It would not be an easy job as  some
would see the arrests as a  sledgehammer
approach, but nobody says running a government 
is easy.

To everyone's interests, it is  best for
all Malaysians to refrain  from making
unnecessary comments on the cases.

Supporters of these politicians  should
not cast any doubt on the  integrity of
the courts and its officers. Let the courts listen to the  arguments of both sides and let  justice run its full course.

Lim's initiative to meet these  two
controversial leaders is indeed bold. But it is a double edged sword.

These meetings will strengthen inter-ethnic and
inter-religious ties between Muslims and 
non-Muslims. Both sides are 
likely to learn from each other 
and perhaps be more sensitive  towards one another's culture  and religion.

The meetings would also rebut 
allegations that the opposition 
front is breaking up.

The negative side is that the  DAP is
again taking a big risk. So  far, it is
only the DAP leaders  themselves who are
saying that  the PAS leaders are prepared
to  be accommodative.

PAS leaders have not committed themselves to anything; all  they
have said, according to the  DAP, is they are willing to
have  discussions with non-Muslims.

Malaysians should be reminded that not too long ago, PAS  leaders
said they were prepared  to admit non-Muslims as associate
members.
They even declared their willingness, at one 
point, to field non-Muslims as 
candidates.

Of course, nothing of that sort 
happened. In fact, upon winning  Terengganu,
Hadi's first decision was to impose kharaj on 
non-Muslims.

This was done without any consultation with its Barisan Alternatif component
party leaders.

There is no reason for non Muslims to thank Hadi for his assurances that
Buddhists and  Christians would be
allowed to  build their own places of
worship. That is guaranteed under  the
Federal Constitution.

Neither should non-Muslims be  relieved
by his statement that  non-Muslims would
be appointed  to various municipal and
district  councils.

These are minor concessions  by PAS to
get the support of non Muslims for a greater agenda of  setting up
an Islamic state, which  the PAS leaders have openly stated.

What non-Muslims should ask  is whether,
under PAS' Islamic  rule, the role and
powers of Parliament will be limited compared 
to a council of ulamaks?

PAS may have put on record its  readiness
to protect the interests  of non-Muslims
but let's not forget that under PAS-ruled Malaysia,
important political, administrative and judicial positions will  be reserved for Muslims.

Their argument is that in an  Islamic
state, it is only logical  that those who
lead, guide and  direct the state should
be those  who subscribe to their
belief.

In other words, the role of non Muslims in various spheres of  powers would be limited, at best,

That aside, no one has any idea  what
kind of alternative economic system PAS has in mind, particularly the
relationship between labour and capital.

The record of PAS in the treatment of women is also questionable. PAS president
Datuk Fadzil  Nor, for example, needs to
be  more convincing.

He cannot talk about the lack  of women
Cabinet members  when his party isn't
ready to  field women candidates.

The Terengganu government's  decision to
extend the maternity  leave of women to
90 days is a  minor giveaway.

Unless the PAS leaders are  ready to
adjust themselves to  contemporary
circumstances, it  would never win the
support of  non-Muslims.

Neither has the party been able  to
project itself as being progressive and dynamic.

In dwelling upon the purported  aspects
of material development,  PAS will find
it difficult to win  the hearts and minds
of non Muslims.

Many liberal young Malaysians  who are
willing to support PAS  now, in the name
of justice, may  not realise the fight by
older liberal Malaysians against the 
moves by PAS-influenced students in banning The Alleycats  and Sheila Majid from performing in
campuses.

Many of these students are already active in PAS.

Malaysians will watch closely  how PAS MPs
perform in Parliament. Until now, these MPs have  confined themselves to issues relating to
religion.

If PAS wishes to prove itself to 
Malaysians, particularly with the 
influx of professionals into the 
party, it has to impress non-Muslims.

The fears of non-Muslims towards PAS is real. The DAP, if it  intends to survive, had better understand
this.

There is little that the DAP can  do to
change PAS; its struggle  has been
consistent since its formation  that is,
to set up an  Islamic state.

Its target audience is clear and  it will
not be bothered about how  the DAP feels
about its plans.

The DAP's gamble this time  seems even
greater as the Chinese community now sees the 
DAP as being apologists for PAS, 
rightly or wrongly.

Our new ministers and mentris  besar, having gone through a  contentious general election, will  be scrutinised.

They won't have it easy. Their  every
step will be watched not  just by the
Prime Minister but  also by the
Opposition.

Their priority is to ensure the  smooth
running of their respective ministries and states and to  take them to greater heights.

Equally important is a commitment to live up to the people's  trust. They must not betray public
confidence.

Some of the new ministers,  mentris Besar
and state executive councillors are new; understandably, along the way,
they  may make mistakes.

What is important is they must  be
accountable and democratic.  They must
remember that they  are there to serve
the people   not their personal interests.

There is no place for arrogant  leaders.
Some start off with  great humility and
restraint but  become high-handed after
having all that power in their hands. 
These leaders will be dumped in 
the next elections.

Some of us may not agree with  the politics
of Kelantan Mentri  Besar Datuk Abdul Nik
Aziz Nik  Mat and some others may
question his competence. What can't  be
argued is his down-to-earth  style.

His approach has endeared  him to the
people of Kelantan.  That, in many ways,
has helped  PAS fend off the attacks by
Barisan Nasional.

It's the same with the MCA  state
assemblymen in Penang. 
Moving around on motorcycles  to
serve the people, their service-oriented approach has paid  off.

In the recent elections, all nine  MCA
state candidates were returned by the voters.

They have set up numerous  service
centres in their constituencies, even along alleys, which  they call Pusat Rihat Barisan  Nasional.

The party has also set up Pusat  Rekreasi
Barisan Nasional or recreation centres in neighbourhoods for community
get-togethers.

These meeting points, with no  office
equipment, serve as meeting places for MCA representatives and their
constituents to  discuss localised
problems.

Such grassroots interaction  has paid
off. The party has  gained the confidence
of the people who believe  and rightly
so   that their leaders must be  honest and have integrity.

The results of the 10th general  election
have shown quite clearly that there is a certain degree  of disillusionment with the Government.

Barisan ministers, mentris besar and chief ministers must regain the trust of
those who threw  their support behind the
Opposition.

For state assemblymen, effective service centres must be set  up in opposition-held areas to  show their commitment to the  people. The kind of service provided by MCA's
Michael Choong,  for example, must be
made  available in all
constituencies.

Likewise, every housing estate  should
have such Barisan service centres, similar to what Singapore's
PAP has done, to prove  to the people
that their welfare  and interest are
taken to heart.

Facilities should be provided  even in
non-Barisan areas.

As for Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang, he  must not neglect the interests of  non-Muslims 
neither should  he ignore the
materialistic part  of development.

Our new leaders should attempt to inculcate a new culture  among their supporters and the  public. They should insist that  their visits to villages are without
unnecessary pomp and fanfare.

There is no need for bunga  mangga or
lion dances when  such visits are part of
their job  routine. Leaders should get
on  with their jobs without wasting  money or time and energy.

Do away with grand and meaningless ceremonies unless they  involve some projects of significance. Event
organisers should  be discouraged from
insisting  that VIP guests perform
tasks  for the sake of publicity.

That aside, our new leaders  must believe
in strengthening  accountability. They
must understand the need for democratic reforms, even if done gradually.

Now that the appointments are  made, our
leaders should be given time to settle in. For those  who were rejected in the elections, they must
understand  their position.

The voters have spoken. All 
newly-elected representatives  do
not have to worry about the  next
elections  provided they  prove themselves worthy from  now till then.

From deputy president Dr 
Chandra Muzaffar downwards,  the
electorate rejected Keadilan  leaders.

It was the same with the DAP   Dr Chen
Man Hin, Lim Kit  Siang and Karpal Singh
all lost.

The only opposition front beneficiary, as the local media had  correctly predicted, was PAS.  The Islamist party increased its  representation at both parliamentary and
state levels.

It captured oil-rich Terengganu and is certainly set to become financially
stronger, at  least from oil
royalties.

It is interesting to note that  PAS no
longer describes the Kelantan and Terengganu governments as being headed by the
opposition front but by the party.

The point was made clear by  PAS
spiritual leader Datuk Abdul Nik Aziz Nik Mat when he said  that it was the DAP which wanted to forge an
alliance with PAS.

The truth always hurts and as  the dust
of the elections settles  down,
politicians have to come to  terms with
reality.

The message from Malaysians  is loud and
clear. The Malays, it  would appear, are
unhappy with  certain political
developments.

This can be seen from the voting pattern, particularly from  the predominantly-Malay states.  Clearly, the Datuk Seri Anwar  Ibrahim issue worked to the advantage of the
Opposition.

From the countless PAS flags  flying
across the nation, it can  seen that the
party machinery  was well-oiled this
time. They  had campaigned for a
year,  through daily ceramah and
sale  of video and cassette tapes,
in  trying to reach out to voters.

If PAS accused Barisan Nasional of lies, the Opposition was  no better. A look at their websites would
show their level of  politicking.

In the case of the DAP, its  leaders
don't need a post-mortem to find out why they lost.

Either the DAP leaders had  been badly
advised or they have  lost touch with
people on the  ground. Its pact with PAS
did not  go down well with Chinese
voters.

The involvement of DAP leaders, particularly Karpal Singh, in  the Anwar issue didn't deliver  votes.

Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad remains highly regarded  among Malaysians, regardless of  race, for his tireless efforts in  guiding Malaysia out of the  Asian economic crisis and keeping the country
politically stable.

The general population appreciates what the Prime Minister  has done because the people  have been able to hold on to their  jobs, their houses, their cars and  their hopes.

Many in the DAP and Parti Rakyat Malaysia, however, did not  understand these simple needs  of Malaysians.

DAP leaders, in particular, will  be more
unpopular if they continue blaming Chinese voters for  rejecting them.

They should not scare the Chinese for the purported lack of  secular voices among the opposition
ranks.

How could the Chinese depend  on the DAP
when it remained silent on numerous controversial  statements made by PAS leaders  such as Nik Aziz and deputy PAS  president Abdul Hadi Awang?

If the Chinese voters had gone  along
with the DAP and shunned  Barisan
Nasional, the consequences would have been worse.

For the sake of its survival, the  DAP
should re-assess its links  with
PAS.

In the case of Barisan, there is  no
question that it has lost the  trust of a
large section of supporters.

It must work doubly hard to  win them
back. It can do so, for a  start, by
having an impressive  Cabinet
line-up.

Fresh, talented leaders must  be given a
chance to serve the  people. More
importantly, they  must be men and women
of integrity. There is no place for 
leaders with even the slightest 
suspicion of corruption.

As we enter the next millennium, Malaysians will certainly  become more politically conscious and better
informed.

They will not tolerate any  form of
mismanagement and  abuse of power.
Leaders who  think they can get away are
mistaken. The wake-up call has been 
sounded by the electorate.

Leaders perceived to be arrogant, either in government or opposition, should
re-evaluate their  approach.

In the next general election,  there will
be more than 600,000  new voters  most of whom are  young, educated and demanding.

From the Barisan, they expect  the
ruling coalition to understand their aspirations and  hopes.

They want their voices to be  heard. They
want a say in the  running of the country
and Barisan leaders must engage them in 
discussions.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk  Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,  who began meeting
student leaders before the elections, should 
continue with his engagements.

The Government must pick the  brains of
our academicians and  let them contribute
to the well being of this country.

Bit by bit, we should not be  afraid of
having more democratic space. Such fresh approaches  will continue to strengthen Barisan.

For the opposition parties,  they won't
get elected if they  merely issue press
statements  and neglect their
constituents   as many DAP leaders found
out  painfully. They must be able to  deliver the goods to the electorate.

PAS must realise that if it continues with its brand of politics,  the party will not be widely accepted.

No political party can form the  federal
government if it only has  the support of
one race. Malaysia is multi-racial and the support from people in Perlis to
Sarawak is needed.

For Keadilan, it must end its  politics
of street demonstrations  if it wants to
woo the support of  non-Malays.

Now that the elections are  over, a
certain degree of political fatigue has set in among Malaysians. Enough of
politicking.  Once the federal and state
government lineups are finalised,  we
should just get on with the  real work of
running the country  effectively.