I refer to the malaysiakini report Pak Lah defends nation's unity . Addressing the same issue, a leading mainstream newspaper well-known for its 'apple polishing' stories and political public relations pieces on Sundays carries the following heading 'Quality and excellence need to be the guiding principle' in one of its reports.

This in reference, perhaps, to the hopeful desire that our institutions of higher education should have these hallmarks in order to be effective in a changing and challenging world environment. Whether this is yet another dose of rhetoric given to hype-up our feelings as the country prepares for another election is anyone's guess.

But the reality is quality and excellence cannot be sidelined for political expediency as it breeds contempt and virtually displaces the country's professionalism and competency. Several pages away in the same newspaper - no less startling - is another report where accusations are made against all those who claim that Malaysia is inefficient and lacking in integrity.

One is also accused of wrong when one addresses the increasingly disunity, polarisation and economic decline. The truth is politicians frequently preach about national unity and freedom for all religions but the truth remains that both have taken for the worse over last five years.

It would be a notorious joke if we deny that there is not a day in a Malaysian's life where he or she is confronts issues of race and religion or staring at the face of racism in its many forms and modes as one attempts to strive for a better quality of life. It is rather sad that today those who hold these views and without a political agenda are all called 'naysayer and detractors.'

The pertinent question remains - Do the politicians that lead us today still have the audacity to claim that they are decent, full of compassion, tolerant, honest and dedicated to the nation? These virtues were that of our founding fathers as they toiled together as one community to lay the foundations to this nation that will celebrate its 50th year independence shortly.

But today, the nation's crime index is high, organised crime a reality, corruption openly practiced with a a lack of integrity and transparency, an unhealthy blame game going one between politicians, civil servants and officials with abuse of power and corruption rampaging unhindered by elected representatives and 'political warlords'.

And if today's leadership are following the footsteps of our founding fathers why the fear and paranoia to debate pertinent issues confronting the nation as in the PKFZ debacle ? If indeed we are people of integrity as we repeatedly claim in local and foreign fora, why are we rushing through the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill despite knowledge that it will erode what little protection is left for the Malaysian workers ? In the same context, why are we preventing the handling over of a memorandum from trade union representatives to their elected representatives in Parliament?

I am certain that I am not the only Malaysian who has been so embarrassed and disappointed at the way the country has been managed for the last five years in terms of accountability, transparency, good governance, integrity and common decency.

The sad thing is I may now be called a 'naysayer and detractor' because for this 50th anniversary of our independence, all I am asking for is that the country be managed with competence, honesty and integrity. Those who know they cannot lead without showing religious maturity, commitment, courage and decency should step aside in the nation's interests.