Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has set the tone of becoming a man of his own, by setting out an agenda for people to work with him rather than for him. He has endeared himself to the public with his humility, patience and an ever smiling face which radiates.

Let us hope that his predecessor's shadow will not prevent him from standing up with principles intact. The people should give him the benefit of doubt, in his attempts to rid of all the pitfalls left behind by Dr Mahathir Mohamad. His greatest asset is his clean image, and it shows that being nice and humble, instead of stabbing others in the back, can take one up to the top.

Action speaks louder than words. Hopefully his campaign to fight corruption, both in the public and private sectors, will go full throttle and his family will not make the same mistakes as his predecessor - of getting involved in business while still in office.

Our nation's infrastructure is already well developed. No more new monuments should be built, but he should make sure that the infrastructure is well maintained and used fully by the public.

Government funds should be channelled to the poor. People who can deliver their job should be promoted, rather than those who get by through networking with 'you-know-who'. Business contracts should be given to individuals who are capable, not those who sell their contracts to reap quick returns, as this will defeat the purpose of getting bumiputras in business, as the lab fiasco had shown.

The long arm of the law should not discriminate between individuals who commit white-collar crime. Those whose palms are greased should be send to jail. Politicians should not be allowed to abuse their power by giving out land and timber concessions to their cronies for quick profit.

We should give the new premier a honeymoon period of 100 days to see what direction he is taking us. Being a man of god, I am sure any action he takes would have the people and the Almighty in mind, as every deeds is answerable in the next world.

Lastly, he should chose a deputy who is a family man like him. A person with a strong family background can be a good leader and can carry the country to a new heights. We should not prejudge the new premier. Give him the benefit of the doubt to become a more liberal leader, compared to the previous one.