I do not share the sentiments expressed by Martin Jalleh yesterday . His assessment of Pak Lah's administration - that nothing is expected to change - was too hasty and certainly uncalled at so early a stage in transition of power from former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Be fair and give Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a reasonable period of time to prove his ability to manage the affairs of this country with the least of derogatory remarks from all quarters. I believe Martin's comments were sincere calls for improvement to the administration: repeal of the Internal Security Act and other draconian laws, changes to the judiciary, prosecute high level corruption, narrow the educational, cultural and socio-economic disparities among the races, and most importantly, appoint a deputy prime minister.

Like others, I look forward to changes to the administration that will reflect Pak Lah's identity. I firmly believe that given time and opportunity, our prime minister will honour his words and actions in accordance with his political conscience and religious beliefs as our 'Mr Clean Wakil Rakyat '.

As we all know, it is too early to polish the kettle in just less than 100 days of Pak Lah's administration. Having said that, it's also not fair to criticise Mahathir for his exemplary contributions in maintaining the peace, harmony and prosperity during his reign of more than 22 years. It is also morally unacceptable to condemn our former premier; everyone is expected to make mistakes along the way. On the contrary, Mahathir's vision on developing the nation is today a source of pride for the people, and envied by many others around the world.

Let us move forward to the next level of our endeavours and stop all these counter-productive criticisms against Mahathir, especially when he is only beginning to enjoy the fruits of his labour. At 78, Mahathir will not enjoy the perks of being advisor to Petronas, development on Langkawi, even the Multimedia Super Corridor indefinitely. Certainly there is no conflict of interest, as Abdullah himself will be calling the shots, not kowtow to the authority of Dr Mahathir.

Let us place some faith in the new administration, for the continued peace and prosperity of our children and their generation.