COMMENT They say gentlemen (and ladies, presumably) never discuss religion or politics. The reason for this is ostensibly that passions and obstinacy would be ignited to the point of friendship and courtesy being thrown out the window.

Discussions about politics and other high-profile subjects in Malaysia certainly seem to go that way. It has become a habit of ours to make personal attacks and attempt to demolish the credibility of a person making an argument, rather than address the arguments themselves.

I cannot say for sure if I, in all my years of commenting, have not been guilty of such things. I can only say that for now, I hope to stay as far away as I can from that kind of unproductive engagement.