First of all, I'd like to give my kudos to the editors of malaysiakini , for posting up MGG Pillai's opinion, [#1] Mahathir deserves immunity[/#] (April 2). If anything, it should only improve your reputation as an impartial journalists.

But Pillai's article, surprising as it is, is a refreshing change from the 'Grr, Mahathir evil, evil!' coverage we so often get on the Internet - especially in newsgroups (soc.culture.malaysia, for one) and others like [#2] Seachange Malaysia[/#] .

The writer is very critical of the present government - which isn't a surprise for those who regularly read him. It's gotten him into trouble, it's gotten him some new enemies and has made him one of the more infamous characters of the Malaysian Net scene. But he is mature enough to admit that, yes, debatable as it sounds, Dr M has 'actually done more good than evil to this country'.

Now, I don't advocate Dr M getting immunity - that wouldn't be fair, really, in a nation where even sultans get into legal trouble. All that the writer is saying is that Dr M, flawed as he is, is a remarkable man. He managed to pull our country out of economic obscurity into some kind of prosperity - my generation owes him that much. He isn't a Pol Pot, and neither is he Hitler - but he ain't a saint either.

Silly, silly us - we're putting all the blame for our troubles, our injustices, our riots and racial tensions into an old man who's had multiple bypass surgeries and who shoulders immense responsibilities as the leader of a nation divided up so badly in race and class. Who is unpopular, to boot!

You voted for him, people. You brought him into power. While he was stripping away your powers and your rights, you did 'nothing'. He was doing what he believed was right for his nation - you can't blame him for that.

You could have stopped him, or reminded him of the mistakes he was doing, reminded him that of the responsibilities of a statesman - it is to serve the people, not to make people serve him. But you didn't.

Most of you were asleep, and when you were jolted awake by those who did see what he was doing, went back to sleep again, burying your worries of justice and equality under some kind of idiotic myopia.

Everything - the rape of the judiciary, the inequality, the riots - it's all your fault, you braying, bloodthirsty and apathetic crowd, you. In a way, Dr M is just an extension of your actions.

So it's our fault. So what, then? What can we do?

What we should do is (as corny as it sounds) try to repair things as well as we can. What else can we do? Crucify Dr M for his actions? Wouldn't that reflect badly on us? I mean, didn't we vote for him?