I must say going into this general elections, Pak Lah has become almost unrecognisable from the deputy PM that we know so well.

Gone are the indecisive and woolly replies and in comes affirmative and confident messages with a definite game plan. It is as if he has finally shaken the proverbial monkey off his back and is now making strong strides leading his party into the elections.

In politics, it is all about perception and he has done well in this regard for he has saved his best for the Malays. Gone are the wild attacks against PAS, where he has subtly portrayed himself as the antithesis to our former PM.

Mahathir's leadership stood for all that is not Malay, hence his failure to change them. We had a man that Malays loved to hate, and with his retirement a natural target for the opposition has also been neutralised.

Pak Lah will be given the benefit of the doubt for now and the BN will win handsomely in this elections.

I also believe that he will do one more thing just in time for the elections and that is to get Anwar pardoned. It will be seen as the ultimate unselfish sacrifice by a leader for the sake of his race, religion and country.

Game, set and match.