I disagree wholeheartedly with Tai Lo Chin, writer of ' A victory for all Malaysians '. What he or she has written is the exact perception the media wishes to create in the people's mind about the outcome of the Malaysian election.

When one sees a football match, one expects the playing field to be level. Only then is the result of the match accepted as credible. But for the Malaysian general election, the situation was a lot worse than before; the opposition's hands and feet were tied, and their eyes blindfolded. How does one expect to kick the ball and score a goal?

From the TV stations to the national newspapers and radio stations, the opposition was deprived of a fair coverage and made to appalling. I do not believe that Barisan Nasional deserved to be praised in anyway, let alone for me to be 'buoyant' by their landslide victory.

Apart from the grossly high-handed way their victory was obtained, there is evidence from the ground of money politics. Voters were lured with money, some politicians offered as high as RM300 per voter (imagine for a family with five votes.) But people are afraid to testify because of threats.

For me, and many like me, this election is not purely a battle for the hearts and minds of the people; it is also a battle between the manipulators of the election machinery and the defenders of a free and fair process.

They (the manipulators) made use of the Election Commission by changing the rules in allowing pondok panas -es back - less than 24 hours before polling time and after banning it previously.

Phantom voters have also been reported by BN people sympathetic to the opposition.

Almost everyone in my family who are Barisan Alternatif (BA) supporters couldn't find their names in the electoral roll and the EC's apathy in helping voters find their polling centres made things worse.

Many areas saw the EC's computers down for some reason. Such sloppiness is really suspect when all this while the EC projected an image in tandem with Pak Lah's 'Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang'. In this 11th general election the EC has failed in protecting the rights of the voters.

One day before polling, a directive was given to the police to arrest those who continued to campaign on polling day. But go to any polling centre on that day, and you will see numerous BN campaigners at their pondok panas and on the streets.

When one opposition polling agent duly raised the matter with a policewoman, she just continued to sit pretending to not hear a word said to her.

Dear Tai Lo Chin, you have been misled by the media blitz propagating BN's niceties without further questioning the truth of matters.

We activists on the battleground see it and know that the police and EC are also 'component parties' of BN.

Voters have never seen opposition candidates being invited to nationally televised programmes such as Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI) or Selamat Pagi Malaysia or any other fora. For a country wishing to be 'Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang' the BN's refusal for a head-on debate with the opposition has caused their (BN's) credibility to be grossly doubted.

As for the Malaysian financial and business communities, most of them couldn't be bothered about ethics. All they care about is how to make money and more money. Business friends of the ruling government are, of course, extremely happy with BN's victory as they are the ones who are going to be most successful in profiting from a strong and unopposed government.

With RM30 billion ringgit worth of projects up for grabs, they will just turn two blind eyes to all fraudulent and unfair practices committed during the general election.

The Anwar Ibrahim saga will go on. People like me will never forget what was done to him. Anwar symbolises all the injustices that happened and are happening in our nation.

There is no difference in policies between Pak Lah and Mahathir Mohamad; perhaps only in approach. Personally, so far, Pak Lah is a better actor than Mahathir, for he (Pak Lah) hides his agenda behind his smile and charming persona.

The struggle to uphold truth and justice will go on; the opposition will win or die. In this, the words of the creator are sufficient:

'but they never lost heart if they met with disaster in God's way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And God loves those who are firm and steadfast.'