Pak Lah was given a 92 percent mandate in last general election to bring about change. When one asks what is this change that is talked about, it is the change from the depredations of the previous administration and Mahathir's legacy.

And the most tangible evidence of this change so far must necessarily be evinced by him making the ex-premier, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad the prime and most effective Opposition spokesman for the country! Pak Lah has contributed much to the emergence of this effective, viable Opposition that the country has not had until now.

This one-man show Opposition in Mahathir could achieve more than what the entire spectrum of Opposition parties can do put together - which is to make the government of the day respond to his questions in detail, and in public.

This Mahathir opposition can make a blistering and scathing criticism against the government of the day with all the usual acerbic wit, barbed sarcasm and yet get away with it. No condemnation let alone ISA for this particular new opposition force!

Alas, how we wish this new Opposition leader could extend his positive and constructive criticism of the government to other national issues far beyond the limited issues close only to his heart such as APs, Proton's divestment of Agusta and abortion of the crooked half bridge.

Back to the original question of what Pak Lah has achieved by way of change, admittedly there is nothing concrete, no implementation of the IPCMC, no dent in the architecture of race-based politics, in the systemic corruption or the political culture of patronage. There is only talk and more talk, not only by the premier, but also by other ordinary members of the public, NGOs and civil society and now even the ex prime minister.

So if there were any legacy that Pak Lah leaves behind, it must be this: by doing nothing but talk he has done something, albeit intangible, and that is, he has benchmarked by his wondrous catchphrases, standards of integrity, accountability and transparency that have since crept into the lexicon and become the watchword of the ordinary Joe public in assessing everything the government and the authorities do.

He has raised the bar of public expectations a notch up and in the process germinated the nascent culture of rights consciousness amongst Malaysians that has yet to bloom. In getting the ex- premier to inadvertently become the most effective opposition spokesman, he has also advanced democracy.

Perhaps this is the first thing to be done, nay, the only thing that can be done, given the existing realities of systemic corruption and pervasive abuse of power in the long journey to address the multifarious ills afflicting this country.

Whilst walking the talk would have been applauded as being most desirable, yet talking the walk has also got its merits, albeit not so tangible and apparent.