Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has defused a potentially explosive situation by acting as a leader should, i.e. ordering an investigation to be carried out and then acting upon the findings.

Trigger-happy responses are not going to help in situations like this and Malaysia has picked a fight with all of its neighbours recently by acting like a bully instead of a respectable sovereign nation.

Sadly for Malaysia, the Singapore foreign minister's recent handling of the water dispute showed how important a good education is, in thinking straight and speaking logically.

In future, Syed Hamid Albar should perhaps have the diplomats handle tense issues involving other countries because he has o­nly reduced Malaysia's image to o­ne of a cheap Third World country that has no respect for anyone.

After the incredible effort by PM Mahathir, Malaysia does not deserve this.