"[MTUC president] Zainal [Rampak] made a similar pact years ago with former president PP Narayanan before the general council — the congress' highest decision making body — and Narayanan stood by it."

Therein lies the difference between the two men — honour.

For most of today's leaders, this is a meaningless virtue inherited from our hated colonial masters of yesteryear and totally unsuited to our Asian, Malaysia- boleh way. How our "leadership by example" has permeated so pervasively into every aspect of decent values that we have been taught to uphold and cherish.

MTUC deputy president Mohd Shafie B P Mammal must have been naive not to anticipate this treachery when he agreed to the pact with Zainal.

We should learn from this, of the difference between a man who keeps his word and a man who doesn't, and prosper from it.