I refer to your report RM360 mil compensation: Kit Siang says M'sians made 'suckers' .

For the umpteenth time, we, the public, have to pay for the folly of our government's unwise decisions. Gerbang Perdana's compensation claim of RM360 million from an estimate of RM100 million earlier is daylight robbery. How one can justify such a hefty claim for work not done is beyond belief.

Even if the amount was reduced significantly, it is still a drain on public coffers. The said amount can be used for better economic purposes that can improve the standard of living of the common people.

How our former premier could decide to build a new bridge with our southern neighbor without getting their blessing in the first place shows that his administration was a one-man show with his 'half past six' cabinet members then afraid to raise a ruckus. Most of them were there only to 'cari makan' and nod to whatever their master told them to do.

Hopefully, the present government will not fall to the request by this contractors for the large compensations. It should conduct a fine tooth comb of the procedures to make sure public money is not being squandered.

With all the salvos now being fired by the former premier and the response made by ministers to his questions, we, the public, have the rare privilege of watching the present administration and the old premier washing dirty linen in public together. In the final analysis, the ordinary public can see how well-connected individuals and rich businessmen with the right political connections somehow manage to milk the government of taxpayers money for building mega-projects which turn out to be 'white elephants' in the long run.

There seems to be no love lost between the old premier and the present one and it will be a long feud with only one man standing when the dust settles. Pak Lah cannot keep his 'elegant silence' for too long.

Hopefully, Dr Mahathir Mohamad will get the message that once 'the curtain is drawn' it is best to leave the stage and let a new 'leading actor' perform with his own style of leadership without interference from others.