Isn't it amazing that our ministers and members of parliament can be so unfazed by revelations of blatant impropriety and abuse of privileges, but get so worked up when those among them do not know how to tow the line?

Take the AP scandal. When the list of beneficiaries were first revealed, there was shock and outrage, but this fizzled out very quickly once our PM ruled that the practice of giving out APs would continue. On the other hand, very personal criticism toward Rafidah Aziz for her lack of contrition and arrogance continues unabated from all quarters of government.

Then, there's the recent controversy unleashed by news of the lavish farewell parties and expensive gifts planned for the out-going Customs and Excise Department director-general. When asked to comment, everyone, including our PM, reacted with cautious wait-and-see statements. However, when the beleaguered director-general made an unfortunate reference to Deputy PM Najib's golf-playing habits, he was quickly forced to apologise under heavy fire from the cabinet.

What this seems to say about our elected officials is that they have all learned their survival tactics very well.

Whenever a controversy erupts which threatens to affect their privileges and position (after all, nobody really wants to give up their AP or chance of getting an AP), all will close ranks and try to play it down. But all that pent-up tension has to be vented, somehow. Hence, we have disproportionate expressions of outrage in the media over trivial, less important issues which, admittedly, serves very well to distract the gullible from focusing on the more important

issues.

All I can say is, what fools we are to have elected such clowns...