Anak Kelantan's Overseas junkets an abuse of power contains another Malaysian Pravda-like propagandistic allusion to an American city when he states 'If only the majority of Muslim voters know what French Quarter is really like'.

Excuse me, but the French Quarter of New Orleans is a place of beauty, history and culture. There may be a couple of racy discotheques - as there are in every Western city, not to mention Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - but it is certainly not some den of iniquity, nor is it crawling with prostitutes.

Indeed, I just attended a writers' conference there where I was fortunate enough to consult with some of the top agents and editors from New York. Tourists from around the world (except Malaysians, apparently) know the French Quarter as a place famous for its charm and cuisine.

So just what is it that Anak Kelantan would object to? Vitality and intellectuality, I suspect.