Much has been written recently on the fraud, phantom voters, the abuse of government facilities and the one sided Election Commission (EC) chairman which caused the oppositions parties to lose their crown jewel in the Malay heartland, sending promising young opposition leaders into premature retirement.

Whether we want to believe it or not, Malaysia was duped during the polls. The 'feel good' factor was just a ruse from the ruling parties who wanted to win seats at all costs. Forget about integrity, honesty and fair play in this country. It is all hogwash and hubris.

The Bard said it well, 'The world's a stage and all of us are actors.' To paraphrase former US President Ronald Reagan, a B list actor in Hollywood, you must be a good actor to be a good politician. How true his words are.

As I write, it is April Fools' day. I would like to congratulate the winning parties ( menang cara betina ) and the losing parties (keep your chins up as you lost like ayam jantan and keep the spirits up to fight another day).

It tickles our funny bone to see such gross abuse of power as has been done to keep the opposition parties from being in parliament to act as the ears and eyes of the people. The opposition is needed to check government abuse of power to enrich the latter's families and cronies through dubious means.

Here are some quotations by people on politicians who are good at speaking with double tongues - depan cakap lain, belakang cakap lain .

Governments never learn, only people learn. - Milton Friedman

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs that properly concern them. - Paul Valery

Ronald Reagan is not a typical politician because he doesn't know how to lie, cheat and steal. He always has agent to do that. - Bob Hope

If it were not for the government, we would have nothing to laugh at in France.- Sebastian Roac

He talked and talked about his great integrity. Now its it not extraordinary that these gold digger politicians forget that speech is silver and that silence is golden - Anonymous

Politics is not my concern. It impresses me as a dog's life without a dog's decencies.- Rudyard Kipling

There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics. - Benjamin Disraeli

For those common people who want to earn a clean living to feed their families, do not despair. Let us pray hard that the present government has learnt its lessons and brings development to all and sundry. If they fail us, well, we can always throw them out of office at the next polls.

Welcome to the new era of politics where politicians with dirty hands can still talk with a poker face of their determination to fight injustice and corruption right to the grassroots level.

The old man is gone but his disciples continue his legacy of double-faced talk. How sad but true.