The high-handedness of the Malaysian Students' Department (MSD) director for United Kingdom and Eire, Dr Kamaruddin Mohd Nor, is a sad commentary of a government department that has become highly politicised to the extent of sacrificing professionalism.

Kamaruddin must be aware, or made to be conscious, of the fact that he is there as a director to serve Malaysian nationals studying in the two countries irrespective of their political affiliations or preferences. He is first and foremost a government servant whose salary and other incidentals come from the taxpayers' money.

He has, as a Malaysian citizen with democratic rights, the choice to be "a loyal Umno member forever and ever and through and through", but let not this conscious political preference belittles other people's political choices. Or worse, his political leanings shouldn't be an instrument of intimidation against students whose ideals of a better society may not necessarily run parallel with Kamaruddin's.

It also appears that his previous experience as a lecturer in a university in northern Malaysia doesn't help Kamaruddin appreciate the value of healthy intellectual discourse, debate and disagreement.

But then given the political climate here at home, his public fury and unabashed political allegiance probably makes him the 'more deserving' person to occupy the director's post.