Some disgruntled politicians after the latest Umno general assembly said that money politics thwarted their bids in the party elections including positions for the vice-presidency.

But to most Malaysians, their grouses sounded nothing more than a case of sour grapes - complaining loudly after they had lost. If they had any principles, any integrity or any honour, they should have raised the issue of money politics before the assembly even began.

Not when after the whole farce is over and they suddenly realised that they lost to the highest bidder.

Voicing the wrongs of money politics before the Umno party elections may have jeapordised the chances of the politicians taking part in the race but shouldn't truth and integrity matter more?

This is the state of Malaysian politics now, and the malignant cancer is spreading amongst all levels of society. Positions of honour have been reduced to positions which money can buy.

If corruption and graft continue at the rate they do in Malaysia (we are not talking about a couple of thousand ringgits, but the hundreds and millions of ringgit of sweeteners) then Malaysia can forget about competing globally and the Vision 2020 will remain nothing more than a mirage.