I refer to malaysiakini's recent special interview with our former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Our former premier is right again - not every country is able to put the basic principles of democracy into practice. Perhaps he is not excluding Malaysia during the past 50 years. After all, for instance, when did we ever have equal vote weightage in our country?

Indeed, few leaders and their people from the supposedly established democratic nations in the world would know what exactly the true principles of democracy are, let alone the good number of infant and semi-autocratic nations hidden under the fake blanket of 'democracy' (or should one say 'guided democracy').

Atrocities and malpractices have been committed in the name of democracy, so have embezzlements and briberies. For many leaders, democracy has been an ugly excuse if not a convenient disguise for corruption and absolute power.

Did Mahathir himself practise democracy during his unduly long and high-handed reign? One wonders. In any case, he should know better.