It is really encouraging that the government finally shows that it does listen to its electorate. When I read that the prime minister has asked that the proposed Interfaith Commission be put on hold in view of criticisms that have been leveled against it, I finally felt hopeful that there was now a government which does factor in criticisms.

Indeed, I now look forward to the government acting on all the criticisms that have been leveled against various other acts of Parliament that were previously thrust upon the people. For instance, the ISA and the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) which forbids students from taking part in political activities.

Indeed, I am also hopeful that all the criticisms leveled at the police and various other enforcement divisions will also now be attended to as none other than the prime minister himself has acceded to criticisms of the electorate.

Of course, it needs to be said that criticisms leveled at the Interfaith Commission has so far only come from certain Muslim groups and those taking on the mantle of the guardians of Islam. If the government now does not follow up on other criticisms in the past voiced by the rakyat, then, of course, unfortunate conclusions can be drawn about what exactly it is that concerns the government most and who exactly the government sees as it constituents.

As for the criticisms of these so-called guardians of Islam against the proposed Interfaith Commission, I cannot be too critical of them. After all, they have always publicly stated their own belief and faith and what exactly it means to them.

That being the case, it is only natural for them not to want to sit together with someone of a different faith and subscribe to the view that there is equality amongst all. I believe these 'guardians' are being far less hypocritical in their stand compared to others who are prepared to subordinate the tenets of their faith in the name of achieving 'harmony' in this world.

For the proposed Interfaith Commission to have come this far and to be told by the prime minister to hold their plans, only reflects the complete naivete on the part of the commission's proponents to have ignored the very tenets that a large part of this nation hold themselves to.

It is only necessary for a few amongst them to make some noise enjoining their motivation and the government finds itself bound in tentacles.

All that I suggest is for us to get real. This so-called interfaith thing is not going to happen. Unlike what we saw at the memorial service held immediately after Sept 11 in New York where a Muslim imam prayed at a church, we are not going to see a Christian priest being invited to pray at a mosque here.

Once we can accept this, it becomes possible for both sides to talk.