The new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has told BN leaders to tell him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He said this when opening the MIC Selangor branch convention yesterday.

"Tell me the truth. At times people do not give truthful information... afraid that I may cry or cannot sleep over it but as the leader we have to hear the truth. If unwilling to hear the truth then there is no need to be a leader," he said. So what have all these BN leaders been doing since? Telling lies and half truths?

It was a few days ago when our now retired helmsman told us that Bush did not rebuke him, and so virtually calling Bush a liar. According to the Free Anwar Campaign website , the transcript of the US Congress on Oct 28, 2003 had this to say: "Whereas President George W Bush traveled to Thailand to attend the October 20-21, 2003, meeting in Bangkok of the leaders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and rebuked Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his "wrong and divisive remarks". Would the new prime minister like to seek the truth of this matter?

Also a few days ago in the Dewan Rakyat, a motion of thanks was passed with resounding 'ayes' all round and the highest of tributes paid by many of our MPs. Were these representative of the truth, as our new PM wants to hear? Take a look at all these Star articles in recent days:

  • The motion of thanks: Building a future of excellence'
  • 'Barisan MPs pledge loyalty to Abdullah'
  • 'Ong: Thank you Dr Mahathir for everything'
  • 'Opposition MPs praise Mahathir'
  • 'Uphold democracy, representatives told'

Were they all telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth? We were told prior to Nov 1 that everything was fine and rosy with the country, after our previous helmsman had 22 years making it greater than before. Over the past few days, things are no longer looking so rosy. Corruption has suddenly become rife and there is a need to take measures to reduce it, even to zero, which of course is not possible.

Knowing how toothless the Anti-Corruption Agency is, one of the obvious first steps for Pak Lah is to provide the ACA with more bite to go after the sharks and not the ikan bilis. But here comes our de facto Law Minister Rais Yatim who says there is no need, as "the Anti-Corruption Act, Criminal laws, Criminal Procedure Code...are complete." Now what does our zero corruption crusader has to say to this?

Another area that has been messed up in the last 22 years, is that of education. It has only been in the last one to two years that our previous helmsman realised what a mess it has really been reduced to. A system which produces graduates who are not in sync with the marketplace and their demands. A system producing engineers and doctors and other professionals who think they will be better off doing something else. The new PM needs to set this right and soon enough. Is he ready for the truth?

It is easy for the new PM to ask that he be fed the whole truth. But can he really expect that to happen, just because he said so. The BN leaders after having served the recently retired helmsman of 22 years, the one who believes in the 'PM knows best' policy and the one who was fed with only what he wanted to hear or none at all.

Will these same leaders, overnight know what is true and feed the new PM with only the truth? Also the truth may not only just cause the new PM weepy days and sleepless nights, it may cause him so much despair that he may decide to pack his bags and opt for early retirement.

But if he truly wants the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, it will be better for him to put his own ears to the ground and listen rather then to expect BN leaders to feed the truth to him.

As The Star columnist Wong Chun Wai said, when referring to fighting corruption: "Surely the leadership is capable of gathering information from its own source in party and government on the reputation of these political figures."

This applies equally to getting at the truth our new PM seeks. Here's wishing the new PM the best of luck, "the truth will come to one who really and truly seeks it".