'That' directive from the prime minister has confirmed once again that BN MPs cannot be trusted to voice the people's concerns and are blinkered in Parliament. I am referring to the longstanding, childish BN principle that any motion proposed by the opposition, regardless of merits, must not be supported by any BN MP.

It is time we as a society wake up and put things into perspective and realise just how seriously our universal moral core (for all races and religion, because all of us accept this state of affairs) has decayed.

Why are we as a society even prepared to entertain the notion that there could be any exception to acting in accordance with your conscience in all of our daily lives? Especially in a non-military or similar situation where following an order blindly does not necessarily safeguard human life.

Allowing politicians to override conscience is, fundamentally, to accept that politicians can be and are corrupt. Why should politicians enjoy an exception from what we usually expect of other human beings as the lowest acceptable standard of behaviour?

We don't want our neighbours or strangers to be dishonest but apparently we can exempt our politicians - those who wield the highest power over our lives - from it. Isn't that nonsensical?

And how are we going to explain this 'politician exception' to our children? That if you want to be dishonest and get away with it, be a politician? God save Malaysia...