It often has been demonstrated that there are double standards in the enforcement of the law in the country. One standard is for people with connections to the powerful in government and the other for ordinary Malaysians including those in the opposition.

That a large group of people purportedly demonstrated outside a church, obviously without police permit, and got off scot-free without being arrested and charged for illegal assembly and for posing a threat to national security (all because of an untrue SMS alleging mass conversions of Muslims to Christianity) exposes the inconsistency and lack of integrity of the police and government.

If it were someone from an NGO or an opposition political party behind the mob, be sure the police would have put them all in jail and charged them. It is just like those who park their vehicles haphazardly outside mosques on Fridays. There are laws against illegal and dangerous parking but some are allowed to break the law.

While the the letter Malaysian voters should know advocates voting for other parties if the people don't like the BN, I am not so sure that this is sufficient to guarantee a radical result. The point (which was raised by Anwar Ibrahim before) relates to the integrity of the ballot box. Just how honest is it? Should not the whole electoral process be subject to independent scrutiny? Should not the electoral boundaries be redrawn to reflect the 'one vote, one value' idea behind a true democracy?

How often have we been suspicious of the results of elections? Who can vouch for their accuracy independently? How do voters know that the ballot box is beyond manipulation or abuse? How do voters know that elections are not rigged when from time to time dishonest practices eg, phantom voters, have been exposed? Until there is an independent body to oversee elections, I remain cynical.

Still, we should vote as we think right, and voting for other parties will send a clear message to those who have not done their jobs properly. It is a question of time before Malaysia comes to its senses and follows the best practices of good governance. To continue to allow corruption and other bad practices to occur without any serious apprehension of the culprits is against our sense of morality and the teachings of religions.

For too long, Malaysians have allowed their politicians to behave like masters when they should be servants of the people and the nation. There was a time when Malaysians were largely ignorant and uneducated, uninformed and powerless to do anything. They acted like serfs to the politicians.

Today they know better and they can make a difference. But will they? For me, I know who I will vote for. If an incompetent party takes over from the present leadership, what difference will it make to what we are used to? Who can do worse?

But at least it will shake up the present party in power and wake them up to the reality that power belongs to the people and the people can take it away from them. Some politicians need to learn a good lesson that they can't take the voters for granted. They need to be sent out into the political wilderness and earn their way back into power.

Even Dr Mahathir Mohamad knows that and is on the people's side at least where bringing the government to account is concerned. He may have his reasons but what he does is useful to the people. He can't do us any more harm but he can do the country good.

Like him or not, we wish him a speedy recovery from his recent health scare and welcome his solidarity with the people in bringing about better governance through his eminent opposition.