Henry's letter Pak Lah right in 'toe the line' rule , like those who support the party-whip system, simply proves Suria Kenchana's point in Umno's a gang, not a team .

True, voters elect a particular party's candidates, but they also expect that these elected representatives - though will be supporting the policies of that particular party - ultimately will owe their chief allegiance to the country, the constitution, the rule of law, and morality first.

Only when these overriding values do not restrict their choices, eg, in economic policy matters, will they be expected to support the party's line. Party politics can only be permitted to go so far - or else it will turn voting into a 'gang' operation.

Nevertheless, even based on Henry's own concession, Sharir's 'rebellion' is justified because the integrity of MPs cuts across party lines, and is first and foremost a moral issue. But still, people like Henry forget one obvious safeguard for party politics - if the party's policies and stands are good and attractive enough, surely all MPs can be persuaded to vote for them, including those on the other side of the political divide, without the need for the whip at all.

After all, the idea of having parliamentary debates is precisely to allow MPs to persuade or dissuade each other from supporting any particular motion or bill by conveying its merits or deficiencies to fellow MPs. Therefore, why should parties be worried that their own MPs will not be able to judge such merits on their own by participating in the debates?

Unless, of course, if these MPs simply have no brains and do not deserve to be in Parliament. So, a political party's blanket use of the whip, such as BN's, indirectly tells the world the quality of their MPs - or of their policies and proposed legislation.

I agree with Henry's assertion that Malaysia is not yet in the same developed stage as the UK in terms of parliamentary democracy. But in order to develop, our MPs and ruling party need to grow up first. Alas, how can they do that if they don't even have brains in the first place?