By the look of it, the government, and for that matter the country, is suffering from fund limitations. The cancellation, or re-prioritisation, of several major projects only serves to confirm this perception.

Don't forget though, that the rakyat are suffering even worse, what with the increase in fuel price. The poor civil servants are now spending at least RM3 a day for fuel. Work that out for a month, and it's RM90. This is quite a burden for the low-income group. The fishermen are a bit lucky in that they are given a fuel subsidy.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, instead of removing fuel subsidies, should stop subsidising Proton. It would be in everybody's interest to subject the marketability of Proton to market forces.

If it has to sell 70 percent of its assets to a foreign automaker, let it be. As long as its factories churn out cars (even if they are Kias or Volkswagens), Malaysians won't lose and may perhaps gain in terms of employment and technology transfer.

Forget about Dr Mahathir Mohamad's pride and ego, he is not paying our food, utility, schooling, university and medical bills. It is unreasonable for every Malaysian to suffer just to stoke the ego of one man. One should be reminded that pride is the greatest sin of humankind.

Petronas should also from now set aside 30 percent of its profit for socio-economic upliftment programmes for all rural communities irrespective of race and creed.

As for the New Economic Policy, it should now be called the Malaysian Economic Agenda and emphasise the upliftment of the poor without regards to race. We must bear in mind the poor among the Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Murut, Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu etc. Poverty reduction should not be denominated by race, but by need.