I observe that Kim Quek is at it again in his self-appointed role as scourge of the Mahathir administration and of the prime minister himself.

The latest example of his 'missionary zeal' is the commentary he posted on the so-called 'half-bridge' that is to replace the Malaysian part of the existing causeway between Malaysia and Singapore.

In making these 'critical and hard-hitting' commentaries, Kim is joining with the likes of Manjit Bhatia who also is an ardent critic of Mahathir-led Malaysia.

One wonders if people like Kim and Manjit are driven by their own agenda and convictions or whether they are serving as unwitting, but convenient, surrogates of those who do not wish Malaysia well.

It is indeed strange that the Singapore Straits Times , no fan of Mahathir, picked up Kim's commentary in malaysiakini and tied it together with critical remarks about the 'half-bridge' voiced by Lim Kit Siang in a report about how the 'half-bridge' would adversely affect the economy of Johor by discouraging Singaporeans from visiting the state.

Anyone who is reasonably familiar with the state of bilateral Malaysia-Singapore relations will know that the Singapore media (especially the Straits Times ) are masters of negative reports, snide remarks and overly-critical coverage of issues, institutions and policies in Malaysia.

This may be symptomatic of the overall malaise in bilateral relations or, if one is a fan of conspiracy theories, a result of the undeclared 'psy war' between the two countries.

Be that as it may, it is telling that people like Kim (and Bhatia etc) have chosen to snipe, carp and condemn from the safety of the sidelines instead of getting robustly involved in Malaysian politics and fighting for their views to be adopted by Malaysians in general through open political debate.

This is what politicians like Lim Kit Siang, Tian Chua and Lim Guan Eng, to mention a few, are doing. These people have the courage and conviction to engage in the political process in Malaysia, which is the democratic way of doing things.

So, perhaps, people like Kim and Manjit are relegated to fulminate from the sidelines, knowing that they have little or no influence in how the game is played. Which is of course an indirect acknowledgment of the futility of it all.