Let me start with the comments by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who called on Thailand to be 'mature' over a boycott of Thai goods by Malaysian activists, suggesting Bangkok had overreacted.

Did they really? The truth of the matter is I personally found Syed Hamid's comments distasteful when he called upon the Bangkok "not be narrow-minded and jeopardise economic and trade relations each time we have a political dispute and that we need to be mature ".

This was certainly not "diplomatic language". Though he claimed that the Malaysian government did not support the boycott - initiated over the treatment of Thai Muslims - Putrajaya did not stop the said demonstrations.

This when in the past every demonstrator - even those against irresponsible developers and rapists- received harsh treatment.

Syed Hamid makes a mockery of all things when he continues to take the high moral ground. All he need to have done was to privately contact his counterpart and address the issues in private. This should never have been made public.

Have we become so big headed that we fail to realise that our prejudiced, tilted and biased opinions are indeed hurting bilateral ties all over and we are fast becoming a joke in diplomatic circles?

What would the reaction in Putrajaya if Bangkok is to replied with their version of a boycott and demonstrations are we ready to handle this?

It is a fact that bilateral relations have deteriorated since the 131 Thai Muslims from the southern Narathiwat province fled into Malaysia in August, triggering a tussle between the governments over the fate of the group.

Comments from our side have not helped either and in some circles were interpreted as "interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries". It is not too late for common sense to prevail.