It has for a long time been suggested by the leaders in the Malaysian government in threatening tones that any action that is targetted at destabilising the present government would be treason. In similar vein any writings that are not exactly complimentary of the government is viewed just as threateningly as someone leading a mob with molotov cocktails.

In that atmosphere we find that even opposition parties operate within the confines of a limited agenda. DAP, and especially its spokesperson for over two decades, Lim Kit Siang, one of the most vocal oppositionists one could muster, have enunciated many times their desire to be a most effective oppositionist. Their highest achievement would be denying Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.

PAS, on the other hand, as much as it wishes for an Islamic state, has recently shown a desire to have even more states fall under its rule. It does not seem to matter if the federal government was not within its reach. No doubt in its attempts to garner support if not neutrality from the non-Muslims it has allowed for the expression of the cultural and religious presence in its midst.

However, it has a long way to go before it can show that it is ready for greater responsibilities that is required in leading the nation. Its role in the opposition is so far seen as ensuring legislation, policies and actions of the government fit into the Islamic mould.

As for Keadilan, its complete emulsion into its obsession for justice appears to leave it very little time for any other agenda that opposition parties are expected to have. However, its very raison d'etre compels it to focus its attention to that immediate agenda which among other things is to also see the fall of Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime minister, more for its revenge value than for whatever Malaysia is supposed to gain from it.

There is, therefore, clearly no one else getting themselves ready to take over the governance of this country. The Barisan Nasional has set itself as a permanent governing institution with Umno setting its lead, to remain in government in perpetuity.

The objectives, words and actions of challenger Barisan Alternatif have so far lent support to this contention as well. Beyond wanting to see the fall of the BN government it has not done anything to show the people that they have within them the human resource and capacity to govern and to rule.

What more, the opposition parties have positioned themselves and indoctrinated themselves to being oppositionists rather than potential state leaders. This is visible in the way their own parties are led. No doubt we do not hear rumblings within PAS. But really, whether the silence is a show of reverence to the garb worn by the leaders or is indeed for the personality, capability and commitment of the leader is something that would need consideration.

Obviously, as Malaysians we all seem quite settled with the idea of a government led by the Barisan Nasional taking us into eternity. We see the need for an opposition that would keep those in government in check.

But the BN leaders instead have a collective mentality that showing up their weaknesses, failures and greed is not for the oppositionists. They have this habit of cohabiting with like-minded fellow leaders and there is rarely a time that any one of them shows each other up in public. Maybe it's the fear that others might reveal their own games that they play. So the music plays on and they continue dancing.

Why then the paranoid attitude to the foreign press? Has that got to do with the different worldview taken by them having been conditioned by events in their own countries where changes in government do not bring life to a sudden halt? Or that, despite changes in government, there is no stop to the government machinery that ensures the security of the state or the health of the nation?

That the airports continue to operate with planes landing and departing, that the wharfs still have ships loading and unloading, that the firemen and the military men still get paid their monthly dues, that the roads get swept and the rubbish cleared? That traffic lights do continue working and water and electricity keep flowing to our homes?

Reading through Malaysian press reports, analyses, views and opinions, there is this uncanny feel that there is this basic assumption that a change in the Malaysian government would bring about a human catastrophe. The opposition parties seem to support this contention. That would especially be so with Lim Kit Siang, I am afraid.

Therefore, foreign press reports and views where the writers are not so indoctrinated might inadvertently be giving suggestions and subliminal messages that one day may ring loud and clear for all to see. This, Mahathir and the BN government must surely know.

That is why the obsession with criticising the foreign press. It must be noted that whenever the foreign press is targetted these days, it is not further narrowed down to the Western press alone, as we all know that the press in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and India are certainly just as liberated and biting as the Western press.

We now hear of new units being set up just to counter the influence of the Western press. In fact, our opposition party publications may not even be viewed to be as threatening. After all, everything they now report on is expected reading anyway and it is already discounted. They do not raise any amount of anger or frustration anymore and certainly they cannot incite a mob with anything written within the context of their world view. (Not that I would want to see anything written that would incite any mob anywhere).

As for malaysiakini , which I have followed since its first issue, I see it operating somewhere between the two, i.e the Malaysian writer and the "foreign" writer. It is only a matter of time when someone is going to say something that is going to get a movement going. It may come from anywhere or an innocent letter such as this.

This is why to the BN government, malaysiakini must seem to be an anathema that should be lumped together with those of the foreign press. Malaysiakini has had many near misses. It is a matter of time when someone is going to be on target and that is just too much risk to take.