Once again, our government with its infinite wisdom has decided that Time magazine shall be withheld for purposes unknown. They did it many a time with Asiaweek . Many magazines have had to endure the wrath of our Malaysian style of punishment.

What is extremely distressing to the general public is not the selective censorship but the feeling of being shortchanged and treated such by the authorities.

Time magazine has obviously written some article which has offended our leaders in our country and the emotional anguish suffered by these leaders have somehow affected the internal security of our country. Time has not been able to answer our queries and really who else do we turn to when full fee-paying subscribers wait and wait and wait for their issues.

I believe we Malaysians have over the years grown all too accustomed to being told what's good for us and what's not. For lack of a viable alternative, we have all lived with that burden. What really irks me is when we, as consumers, have to bear the brunt of the government's incapacity to accept criticism. What's to happen to our paid subscription now? We cannot claim against Time magazine because they can plead impossibility to fulfill their contract. It was not their fault that the magazine could not be delivered.

Malaysias globalisation aim is laudable. However, for every step we take towards being a developed country, we take three steps back when we show the world we cannot be criticised openly in the free press. Should we try and shut every publication, every medium and every mouth that speaks ill of us or should we really show our maturity and win the hearts and respect of right-thinking people? That is true success. But yet we fail, time and time again....