The present looting, plundering and corruption by our politicians that we are now witnessing did not begin in 2005 or 2006 when the present Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over the leadership from Dr Mahathir Mohamad. In fact, this practice by the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has been going on for the last 50 years.

To a great extent, technological advancement played a vital role in disseminating information to the general public and the availability of Internet access accelerated the free flow of information. The accessability to the Internet enabled information of scandals and corruption to travel on the information super highway at such a rapid pace that in a short period of time, the news is common knowledge to the public.

Previously, in the last 48 years, information or news of any scandal was kept hidden and conveniently concealed from public view. As a result, corruption and scandals were not published by the mainstream media which, for the most part, was owned by the ruling party.

With the present day availability of Internet access, the mainstream media longer has a virtual monopoly on everyday news. Good or bad news will be reported and published in the Internet and censorship is virtually impossible.

Just to illustrate the point that corruption has always been present in the government, the Defence Ministry some 20 years ago ordered a fleet of fighter aircraft from the US. When the aircraft were handed to over the Malaysian government, the condition of the aircraft was so poor that they could not take to the air.

The fleet was eventually put to shelter in a rented hangar somewhere in the Nevada desert. Until this day, no one knows the fate of these aircraft. Fast forward to today where commission for the purchase of submarines and Russian fighter aircraft are paid to agents in Malaysia who ostensibly act on behalf of some defence ministry officials.

Yes, the practice is still continuing except the method is more sophisticated and the money changing hands is in the millions.

If the elements and principles used as a yardstick to convict the former deputy prime minister in 1998 are used today, the entire cabinet would be convicted and thrown into prison. The fact that corrupt practices and scandals did not surfaced prior to Abdullah's era does not preclude its non- existence.

The more probable reason was because they were cleverly concealed by the mainstream media plus the fact information was not freely available to the public then as now.