I refer to Ong Kian Ming's letter ' Three reasons why Keadilan has failed ' .

I think Ong's critical feedback is honest and sincere. Keadilan must indeed take note and improve accordingly. Specifically, Keadilan leaders must always make their presence seen and felt positively.

However, it seems that Ong has forgotten the fact that Keadilan is only about four years' old, and it has become the specific target or top priority for state repression: not only the official media attempts to black it out, its many leaders were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and subject to other legalistic persecution.

The major reason, I believe, is that Keadilan has the most powerful potential to be a national party in the centre: it's truly multiethnic, multireligious and not xenophobic; it can also quietly attract young professionals of all races.

As a responsible party that strives to be in the centre, it certainly cannot afford to be vulgarly populist, although it must be vocal on important issues that affect public interests, like corruption, abuse of police power, and judicial independence, etc. These it has been performing very well in the past four years, despite state repression and attempts to gag or demonise it from all directions.

On the question whether Anwar Ibrahim should continue to be a major issue, I think Anwar should because he is a globally recognised prisoner of conscience or political prisoner. Fighting for justice for Anwar is not personal, but national and international. If governments and NGOs all over the world are concerned with Anwar, there is no reason why Keadilan and other justice-loving Malaysia should abandon the cause.

However, I would also suggest that, since Keadilan has progressed in the last four years in terms of its membership and organisation, there is also a need to diversify the range of issues to be brought up in the Parliament, state assemblies and in public places. In this regard, the merger between Keadilan and PRM is a synergy and a move in the right direction.

Perhaps Ong can contribute to this effort of strengthening a centrist opposition by personally applying to join the new party. But it should be cautioned that joining an opposition party entails personal sacrifices. Ultimately, it is a moral choice for each individual to decide.