Malaysiakini has received many letters from concerned citizens lately. They range over a wide variety of topics that are affecting the country. Living in Malaysia's newest city - Petaling Jaya - one is perhaps too far away from the corridors of power to really know what is going on. Hence, like many voices on the Net, it is mostly speculation. A kinder term would be the 'feelings on the ground'.

It is now quite apparent to many of us - those who care to listen to people talking in Starbucks as well as 'mamak' stalls - that the rift between the premier and his predecessor has turned into open warfare. The PM must be having a tough time reining in all parties whilst making sure reforms take place.

There has been speculation regarding the allegiance of the deputy PM and some rather unsubstantiated (unless the writer is an insider) claims that somehow the latest government efforts to stop uncontrolled speculation over race and religion is indicative that Abdullah is losing his grip.

I am not sure if this is true but the PM's inaction over Dr Mahathir Mohamad is clearly rattling a few impatient people. The worst thing that Abdullah can do is to go down the road Mahathir went in the early years of the latter's premiership.

For those who care to remember, Mahathir and Musa Hitam (now the two Tuns) were liberalising the tight grip their predecessors had over politics. Their battle cry was 'Bersih, Cekap dan Amana'. Sounds rather familiar? But Malaysian politics is such. Our attitudes and the giving in to 'feelings' actually drives leaders into authoritarianism.

Whilst we squabble over politics, we are taking our eyes away from corruption, the climbing crime rate, escalating violent robberies, the poor delivery system of the civil service and the hundreds of schoolboys devoting hours to Internet cafes learning to be cyber-warriors rather than reading their lessons.

Why do Malaysians crave a strong leader? It is because we are not really a nation. We have geographical boundaries and all the trappings of a nation but we fail to imagine ourselves as one people.

Our tribal feelings are too strong. Until and unless we begin to think of ourselves as Malaysians first (and not only when overseas over 'rendang'), we will always crave a strong man to put us in our respective pigeon-holes.

Our 49th Merdeka is round the corner, perhaps now is a good time to think?