January is a month of resolutions and reflections. Looking back at 2005, one striking point is certainly the many promises from our prime minister, Pak Lah. Not a month passes by without pledges towards a more transparent, accountable and responsible government.

We commend Pak Lah's commitment to the rakyat through his promises. However, it seems that the actions of his government are not entirely commensurate with his stirring words. To jog his and our collective memories, here is a small sample of Pak Lah's promises made in 2005 (complete copies of the prime minister's speeches can be found on the Office of the Prime Minister's website .)

The promise: In his speech on Feb 20 last year, Pak Lah advocated against the country's "brain-drain" and listed creativity and education as two priorities towards national economic growth. He also cited women as a group deserving particular notice and support, and stressed the importance of life-long learning in development policies.

The reality: Despite women making up 57.8% of those enrolled in tertiary education (2001, Education Department), women only make up 36% of the country's labour force (2003, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development). Further, the adult literacy rate for women is lower than for men by 7% (2004, Unicef). Perhaps Pak Lah needs to re-evaluate his views on gender roles when addressing the "brain drain" problem. This includes the assumption that women are automatically responsible for housework and the subsequent lack of support for women to participate in the workplace.

The promise: In his speech on March 31, Pak Lah stated that Islam Hadhari promises democracy and is for the benefit of all, regardless of religious or racial identity.

The reality: On Dec 28, the High Court repeated their refusal to provide non-Muslims with legal redress when members of their family convert to Islam. By claiming that the High Court has no jurisdiction over the issue, the family of M Moorthy was not able to perform the most basic of duties to their loved one who has passed away. His wife, mother and other family members who are practicing Hindus were denied the right to perform burial rites on his body because he had apparently converted into Islam.

Similarly, on April 13, 2004, Shamala Sathyaseelan was not given legal remedy by the High Court on the conversion of her two young children by their father without her knowledge. We ask you Pak Lah, how many more times must legal history repeat itself in complete mockery of your Islam Hadhari that is supposed to protect and benefit Muslims and citizens of other faiths equally?

The promise: In May, Pak Lah promised to put into effect the recommendations of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police.

The reality: The recent video clip case clearly demonstrates gross abuse of power by the police over detainees. What happened to the 125 recommendations from the royal commission? One of them proposed the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission; an independent body that is able to handle investigations and take disciplinary action against errant police officers. It appears that we urgently need to have such a watchdog over the police. We are deeply unconvinced and weary of ad-hoc, knee-jerk responses to cases of abuse that happen to catch media attention. What we require is a systematic, independent mechanism that is accountable, transparent and respectful of human rights principles.

The promise: At the Non-aligned Movement Summit, Pak Lah stated that the government will ensure that laws and regulations are gender-sensitised and that there will be no discrimination against women.

The reality: The Islamic Family (Federal Territories) Amendment Bill 2005 was passed in Parliament on Dec 23 despite vociferous protest and open acknowledgment by both the public and government that it treats women unfairly. The good news is that the gazetting of the law has been put on hold. The bad news is that this is only one of the many laws that work to discriminate against women. How about starting with a review of Article 15 of the Federal Constitution and granting Malaysian women and men equal rights to confer citizenship on their children or spouse? Or at the very least, an end to sexist language in Parliament?

The above is only a small snapshot of the many, many wonderful pledges that have been made. We await with great hope and expectation the fulfilment of these promises. It is surely time to wake up. Pak Lah, you can count on your rakyat to pay careful attention to your words, to continue knocking on your door, and to repeat 'janji mesti ditunaikan' (promises must be kept) until you and our government keep to the promises made. This shall be our collective resolution.

Credibility rests in action. May 2006 be your year of action.