Looking at the series of events over these past several years, it is no hidden secret that our socio- political and socio-economic concerns are mounting as the clock ticks away. Contrary to what top civil servants may parrot, the truth on the ground is an altogether different story.

Likewise, contrary to what the politicians and political masters are preaching, the rakyat see uncertainty written all over the wall, never mind the dramatic antics going on within the august house of Parliament.

The spiraling official and unofficial cost of living is meanwhile biting very hard into the pockets of household incomes. One shudders to speculate how the millions of middle and low-income groups that form the bulk of the economically active population are going to weather the storm of price hikes and tariffs - both legal and illegal.

If politicians choose to ignore these signs of the times for fear of being blacklisted or sidelined by their parties, it is only going to dent the nation's political image even further. If top civil servants choose to ignore the cries of the wage-earners for fear of losing their jobs, it is only going to tear the socio-economic safety net.

Amidst all these, we see the signs and symptoms of an ailing nation that hardly has 15 years to announce to the world that it has come of age as a developed nation.

While a select few and well-connected Malaysians are getting richer through mega-projects and while an ever larger pool of foreign labour gain economically, the rakyat stands by the wayside haunted by the near impossible feat of trying to further cut expenses while struggling to pay car and housing installments, never mind the credit card repayments and other borrowings.

And as if this is not tough enough, we have fear tactics hovering over the rakyat - the case of the police saga with the IPCMC being one clear example.

Perhaps amidst this dismal reality, the rakyat should adopt the philosophy of see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil. And like an ostrich, let us bury our heads in the hole with the hope that all pain and threats will disappear.

Meanwhile, can anyone enlighten me whether our hard times is because of rising crude oil prices or because we messed up our economic policies through corrupt practices?