I cannot agree more with malaysiakini 's editorial of Sept 2: 'Be a patriot, fight graft'. I read the comments with fixed feelings.

I am faced with a frustrating situation in which I do not find many sympathisers. I am glad that there are still patriotic people such as those in malaysiakini .

I am sad and shocked that when I reported the wrongdoing of an executive to his boss, the CEO of a college, I was repeatedly threatened with lawsuits. This was even after I had furnished documents proving my claim.

I am disappointed that when I brought my case to Michael Chong's office in MCA, a lawyer there simply and matter-of-factly told me: "of course, the boss would protect his staff". He was not even interested to read the papers I had brought along. Before I knew it I was shooed out of the door.

I feel more helpless because the lawyer with Minority Shareholders' Watchdog Group told me that her hands are currently tied with issues involving statutory governance.

I am sick of all this, because giving and receiving bribery has become a way of life in our Malaysian society. (This means that if you do not submit to their demands, you are made to suffer!)

I have acted like a hot-blooded patriotic Malaysian. I have submitted a full report of my case to the Group chief executive officer. He was kind enough to direct me to his executive director because the private hospital and the college were both under his charge. No action so far.

However, one of the documents (a petition from the students of the college) somehow got into the hands of the college's CEO. Flashing a copy of the petition in his meeting with the students, the CEO vowed his determination to find those involved, and threatened to terminate their contracts. This, instead of addressing the students' grievances with sensible solutions. His threat have struck fear into the students! I saw many of them crying silently when they returned to the hostel.

Much has been said about the determination to free this country of corruption. No speaker was more prominent than Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy. 22 years ago, Mahathir's official address to the whole nation, ' Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah ', gave Malaysians plenty of hope and anticipation for a better country to live in. Today, chorusing his departure, Malaysia is interested to ask him: what has happened to his ' Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah '?

Before his turn to take office as the next prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has already signaled his determination to fight graft in one of his speeches early this month. I am wonder just how many Malaysians will believe that he is capable of doing something which the iron-willed Mahathir had failed in his 22-year reign.

Abdullah has only focused on corruption involving the civil servants. Is he interested to know the level of corruption in the private sector too?

I had read (with awe) the news of Zhu Rongji sending corrupted government officials to the firing squad in droves, while on business trips in China. Those executed include influential provincial heads and powerful party secretaries. May be what we need is a Malaysian Zhu Rongji to clean up Malaysia, if Abdullah is sincere in what he has promised his people.

I have tried but it does not pay to be a patriot. The wrongdoers are protected by people in powerful positions and who have authority. They go scot-free after robbing shareholders of their money. In my case, students have become the most innocent victims in the crossfire between my company and college management. This simply does not make sense. Is there anyone out there who would be interested to pursue this issue?