I read with consternation the recent development in Malaysian politics. To be sure, the problems are not new, but the juxtaposition of recent events highlight them more glaringly.

I refer to the letting go of UM professor Dr Edmund Terence Gomez by the university vice-chancellor and the subsequent rehiring of him by the prime minister. I also refer to the ambiguity surrounding the 247 students studying at Crimea State Medical University in Ukraine.

The common thread among these two events is that there doesn't seem to be a strict protocol or a set of guidelines or standards for decisions made by the authority. The decisions are made on an ad-hoc basis and can just as easily be made null and void due to political exigencies. If there are rules, then they are not adhered to.

Only in a few instances will political expedience coincide with the people's interest. More often than not, the people are taken for a ride. How the government make its own decision is a proverbial black hole.

There is no transparency in granting scholarships or Approved Permits; housing projects are approved on restricted land; increasing toll charges with the duration of concession extended without consultation, the list goes on and on.

If bureaucrats have the power to arbitrarily grant and rescind favours, then this creates the perfect condition for graft, corruption and nepotism which will further lead to money politics and the degrading of standards.

If Pak Lah is serious about stamping out money politics and restoring the government's credibility, he must demand proper accountability from every branch of his government. If there is any impropriety, the head that is responsible must be reprimanded or replaced without partiality. And most of all, he must lead by setting an example himself.

In order to have accountability, there must first be transparency - who makes the decisions, and what are the rationales.. If every decisions they make are scrutinised, then all the bureaucrats will be more circumspect and less cavalier with the people's plights and rights.