Now that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has at last realised the wisdom of having a Malaysia for Malaysians, Lim Kit Siang should send him an application form to join DAP. With more and more ministers and Barisan Nasional component party leaders echoing Mahathir's sentiments, the DAP's fight for a Malaysian Malaysia is suddenly in vogue.

Malaysia for Malaysians has no value if we are going to continue with all the injustices, corruption, nepotism, cronyism, abuse of absolute power, suppression of legitimate dissent, suppression of the press, ISA, OSA, etc.

It will ring very hollow if business carries on as usual. If we do not prepare ourselves for the WTO competition which is just around the corner, we will be swamped by the competition.

Mahathir can no longer blame the bogeyman of disguised colonialism, the truth is very clear; we either compete or we can close our doors like Burma, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Cuba or North Korea. Can we afford to allow Mahathir to take us down this road and does he really want to go down this road?

The leaders of BN had better wake up to the stark reality of international competition and get all of us ready, not just they themselves. If the whole country is weak, and the leaders are economically strong, they may be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour, whilst the whole population suffer. I don't believe our leaders really want to see that happen to us Malaysians; it will be too painful for them, especially if they are compassionate leaders.

But since we have been suppressed for so long, can we really compete when the gates are opened?