vox populi big thumbnail ‘It is for you to prove yourself first, Abu Kassim. We cannot afford to give every new chief of the MACC the benefit of doubt. I hope you are clear on this.’

MACC chief: Kick my ass if I'm wrong

Cala: Until and unless there is a change in our institutional arrangements, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is not an independent body. It is under the heavy thumb of the executive. Never mind what he professes, the MACC is operating under the whim and fancy of the executive. That is all there is to it.

Daniel Tan: The rakyat has long concluded that the MACC is in cohorts with the Umnoputeras, including in bringing down the properly-elected state government of Perak. As they say, all new brooms sweep clean initially. It’s hard to believe that this new ‘broom’ will be any different.

Watchman: Abu Kassim Mohamed, we have been lied to, cheated and had our country plundered for the past 50-plus years. We are smarter now. If you think for a moment that we will give you, as the new MACC chief, the benefit of doubt, then you must think we are still stupid.

We think you are cast from the same mould as your predecessors. It is for you to prove yourself first. We cannot afford to give every new chief of the MACC the benefit of doubt. I hope you are clear on this.

Richard F Sindra:

This sounds convincing. Let’s give him time to make some adjustments and maybe he actually can do the job of minimising corruption. Let’s just see how he handles the big cases, such as PKFZ, VK Lingam, and so on.

Foo Wy Len: For what it’s worth, this was good news to start the day with. The true test of the cake is to eat it. There are so many cases of public interest where your action or inaction will show whether you're really independent. Yes, we are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but please don't take too long.

Baiyuensheng:

I’ve got a feeling that this new MACC chief is sincere in seeking to make the institution work. All he needs now is to control his officers and draw up some guidelines on matters that would need his approval and how his officers should behave in the public.

Does MACC have a code of conduct and business ethics in place that all officers must abide to? Complying with these requirements should be part of their performance appraisal. Keep to your word, Abu Kassim.

Evie:

Abu Kassim, if your investigations are substantive, carried out without fear or favour and presented in their entirety to Parliament, I am very sure the rakyat will champion your cause.

'Once bitten' Hindraf shies away from Pakatan

Maddy: If Pakatan Rakyat can fight for Indian detainees who have died in prison as much as they fight for Teoh Beng Hock or seek to protect Indian temples against demolition as they sought to do so against the arson of churches, or fight for Kampung Buah Pala as they did to save Bukit Cina, or give land to Tamil schools throughout the country as they did in Perak, then the Human Rights Party need not stand for elections. Otherwise, Pakatan is just the same as Umno and BN.

Kgen: Any electoral pact between Pakatan and Hindraf/Human Rights Party (HRP) will just be to the latter’s absolute favour because of the removal of competition. Like Ibrahim Ali standing on a PAS ticket in Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

Let the two novice political clowns and self-promoting champions (P Waythamoorty and Uthayakumar) of the Indian community get a big slap from the Indians themselves.

By the way, shouldn't HRP be renamed Hindu Rights Party instead of cheating people with the claim to be a ‘human rights’ party? To these two brothers, other races are not human enough to merit their attention.

Disgusted: Indians will be the losers in any split of opposition votes. Life will go on, Indians will continue to be ignored and neglected and given only small tokens now and then just to get their votes in by-elections.

Bigger issues such as jobs in the civil service, government-linked companies and in other sectors will not see any change. BN will take for granted that the Indians will not be a threat any more.

HRP may challenge Nizar in possible Perak elections

Mydin Kutty: Pakatan only recruits Indian leaders who act as the coalition’s mouthpiece. They don't want to take leaders with calibre within HRP who are willing to sacrifice and who also have a good track record of working for human rights.

I think this is what Hindraf-HRP stands for: Let us put an end to ‘mandor’ (lackey) politics. What difference does it make to the poor and underclass Indians if, as a Tamil proverb goes, ‘Rama or Ravana rules’? Let’s make a firm stand and tell our detractors to their faces not to take the poor for granted.

Matahari:

I am convinced that Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan are not serious in resolving Indian problems. Their Indian leaders do not have grassroots support. HRP, however, has proven to be a credible and a no-nonsense party. The grassroots are fed up with all this pre-election rhetoric and promises.

If this means teaching Pakatan a lesson, so be it. It’s time Indians are led by those who are not taken up by privileges offered by their ‘masters’.

Gibran: HRP can choose to form a coalition with Pakatan. Pakatan may have its faults but anything is better than BN. HRP must be clear as to who their enemy is. But it appears that HRP can never be a team player.

Foo Suit Mooi:

What if HRP’s candidates win? Would they have enough clout and financial resources to bring about social changes to their community? They go in, split the votes and BN wins hands down and laughing.

At the end of the day, everything boils down to rhetoric. Many Malaysians love such shows of ‘sound and fury’ but with no results. This is why we deserve the government that we have.