I refer to the editorial by Steven Gan on How to tell Pak Lah the truth? Pak Lah has had his six months as prime minister. From almost day one after having taken over, he has been telling us to tell him the truth .

But to date, many of us must be wondering 'Does Pak Lah really want the truth?' Many of us have been trying to get his attention but there has been little or no response, and even if there has been, they have come from his proxies.

Soon after the 11th general election, he was told that the Election Commission had really messed up big time this time around. And when told that an independent body, preferably a royal commission, should look into the mess; his answer was merely to deny the truth and say that there was no need for that.

The problems associated with the implementation of the National Service were brought up in the mainstream media as well as the alternative ones and almost daily there were to be found complaints regarding the shortcomings of this programme.

These were crying for his attention. But the PM chose to remain silent leaving others to deny the truth by saying that the media had blown things out of proportion. Is this an appropriate behaviour or demeanour of a man seeking the truth?

Recently there was a suggestion to telecast live the proceedings of our parliament. A person such as our PM should be keen for us to see the truth of what is happening in that august house. But did he wholeheartedly agree to this? His two proxies, the minister in-charge of parliament and the information minister were quick off the mark to give all sorts of reasons why such telecasts should not take place.

A press which is free and not beholden to the powers-that-be is most important for the PM if he really and truly is a keen seeker of the truth. But over the past six months of his stewardship, little has been done to liberate the gagged local press.

We would have expected the PM to have made some move in that direction by repealing the Printing Press and Publishing Act (PPPA). We would have expected him to act on some of Suhakam's recommendations on press freedom.

But not a squeak from him so far. Instead, we find the former Suhakam chairperson calling for a 'fresh look' at press freedom!

Is there any reason why this man who wants the truth fears being involved directly in opening up the 'locked gates' which imprison truth? Somebody once said: 'The truth is truly out there. But those seeking it may fear doing so as the turth may not be what they truly seek.'