I would like to salute the courage of Adam Yong Abdullah . He has decided to come clean. His conversion to Islam has given him a sense of the need to live out one's faith. At the end of the day, it is our action that define us and not the expressions of our beliefs. At 51, what he has done is to put his life in order so that there is a sense of congruence between his beliefs and the way he lives.

It is equally true that God knows all that is happening. Instead of waiting for judgement in the afterlife, Adam has decided to deal with his shortcomings in this life. He is even ready to pay a price for this for if he is convicted he may have to spend sometime in jail.

Whatever the outcome, he signals certain things that we all have to pay attention to in our own lives. The problem is very often not with religion. It is with human beings who profess their faiths but do now live it out. There is so much attention to form and rituals, and very little to substance.

The government can propagate 'Islam Hadhari' but within a culture of corruption, this only breeds cynicism. The revelations of ex-ACA Sabah chief Mohd Ramli Abdul Manan also highlights the culture prevalent in the civil service. The nexus between the politicians and the civil servants breeds corruption.

What action has been taken to deal with the likes of the 'close one eye' politician from Malacca or the Klang municipal council member. Without action - and decisive ones - we the public are going to be cynical about the present claims to fight corruption.

There is a lot that our politicians can learn from Adam Yong Abdullah. For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good people to keep silent. Adam, you challenge us by your actions.