Over the past few months malaysiakini's 'Letters to the Editor' section has be inundated with all kind of letters expressing concern over where Malaysia will be 10 years from now. Having lived and worked overseas over the last 30 years, I get a strange feeling that the blatant lack of accountability will ultimately destroy the economic fabric of this country.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has been alluding to this problem but he has no takers to solve it. To my mind, this is the central issue for Malaysia to become a developed country in the year 2020.

The government has seen it fit to reach this goal through the Malaysia Incorporated concept. We see today government-owned 'special vehicles' in many sectors of the economy. The GLCs in particular are spending public funds without proper accountability. The PAC chairman has made many attempts to try to get them to be accountable to his committee. But we know he has been unsuccessful.

Apart from that, spending in general has not been accounted for. The poor auditor-general has been faithfully publishing his annual reports but those in power don't heed them because they feel that if they take action, they will become powerless.

This is an important issue. The government must be prepared to unleash the auditor-general to do the job for which he has been appointed for. We must all be aware that any organisation that is not accountable will ultimately become a false organisation. We certainly do not want that

On another note, all credit must be given to the government for going ahead with the Second Penang Link. I have only one concern - the cost. It could be reduced by at least RM1 billion if the two viewing decks are eliminated.

In my 30 years abroad, I have never have I come across such an expensive idea at the taxpayers' expense.

In these hard times, when we are unable to consider a salary increase for our workers, it would be prudent to give up the idea of the viewing decks and concentrate on the core of the project- building the bridge.

The RM1 billion saved should be effectively utilised for rural projects to uplift our people from poverty.