As one who applauded the release of the former deputy prime minister and who has scrutinised his utterances for something substantial, I read with disappointment Anwar Ibrahim's statements on the southern Thailand situation.

I am afraid he has fallen into the trap set up by some in Malaysia pandering to extremist tendencies.

You cannot claim to be a bridge between the great divide by condemning the deaths of the demonstrators in Tak Bai and not condemning the beheading of innocents in Iraq.

And in any case, it is certainly not statesmanlike of him to make remarks like what he has done on the internal affairs of Thailand. Imagine the people of Kepong demonstrating to be an autonomous state in Malaysia and you will get the gist of what I mean.

Anwar has to decide whether he can utilise the goodwill he has gained for a greater Malaysian cause or pander to the view of a very narrow minority.