vox populi big thumbnail ‘As BN is unable to challenge PR on democratic appeal, its only strategy is to hope for PR to break up. But this hope is misplaced as there is a strong incentive for the parties to stay together.'

On Silver lining in Lim-Anwar spat

Kenny Gan: The mainstream media loves to play up any disagreement in Pakatan as a sign that the coalition is breaking up. As BN is unable to challenge PR on democratic appeal, its only strategy is to hope for PR to break up.

Disagreements in a coalition of diverse parties is healthy and normal. It is a sign of equal partnership and democracy in action.

What's important is not that there are disagreements but that parties are able to thrash out their differences, discuss and come to a consensus.

Meanwhile, the fawning praise and eeriely uncritical attitude among the component parties in BN with respect to Umno shows in no uncertain terms that the coalition is dominated by one party while the rest are subservient to it.

PR has survived even worse spats than this latest one such as Karpal's Singh uncompromising stance on ‘hudud' and his call for Anwar's resignation after the loss of Perak.

BN's fervent hope that PR will break up is misplaced as there is a strong incentive for the parties to stay together to govern the states under them and to win the grand prize of federal power.

My View: BN's formula of tackling disputes amongst its component parties through ‘selected channels' should not be emulated by Pakatan Rakyat.

Such a formula is not transparent and any decision reached is deemed as 'superficial' in the eyes of the public.

Any disagreement between leaders should not be hidden from the public in order so to show maturity in their thinking, relationship and principle.

No party in Pakatan Rakyat should be deemed dominant in the eyes of public.

On Report lodged against website's commentators

Pakac: The recent crackdown on various bloggers, including RPK, the police report against commentators in ‘Malaysia Today', the arrests of people holding anti-ISA vigils and numerous similar cases show how desperate the BN/Umno regime is to stifle freedom of expression.

In addition to making a mockery of the claim by the BN/Umno regime that ‘Malaysia is a democracy', the crackdown shows that the BN/Umno government's promise to ‘not censor the Internet' was merely empty words.

It was merely ‘saying the right thing' to attract foreign ICT companies to invest in the multimedia super corridor (MSC).

The BN/Umno government has exhausted it's credibility, whatever it does, whatever reforms it may implement is ‘too little too late'.

The BN/Umno crackdowns on freedom of expression only serves to demonstrate how important it is to completely oust BN/Umno from the government.

The harder BN/Umno pushes the rakyat, the harder the rakyat will push back. Maybe we should all wear T-shirts with the inscription ‘Push Harder'.

On Nizar seeks 9-member Federal Court panel

P Ramakrishnan:

The request by the undemocratically-ousted Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, for a nine-man federal court bench to hear his objection to Zambry Abdul Kadir's reliance on Article 63 of the Perak Constitution to determine who is the rightful menteri besar of the state is a fair one.

We earnestly hope that the chief justice will accede to this request in the interest of justice and fair play. What is at stake is the very foundation of justice itself.

What is to be determined by the federal court has far-reaching-consequences for our democratic system of governance.

It involves the fate of a democratically-elected state government as reflected by the popular will of the people.

When 53 percent of Perakians have spoken authoritatively through the ballot box to determine who should govern the state of Perak, can that mandate be nullified through the unethical conduct of three dubious characters who have betrayed the trust of the electorate?

Two of them are facing trials in a court of law after they have been charged with corruption, and this makes it reprehensible that these characters should wield so much power now to frustrate the electoral process.

This very grave issue is so crucial that it is imperative to have the collective wisdom of nine judges to ponder over it so that justice will be better served.

We also agree that a new bench of judges should hear this case so that Malaysians will be inclined to accept their decision.

Malaysians look forward to the inclusion of the newly elevated judges - especially Gopal Sri Ram - so that the issue will be judged fairly and justly.

On There's a plot to topple PM: Rais

Appum: Well, this is the usual blame game that Umno and its ministers always use to deflect issues biting at the nation.

As a foreign minister he should deal with these sort of issues with facts, not just tell the people that foreigners are to blame.

The rakyat and the international community want answers and the truth from the PM.

Even the former PM Mahathir and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh have openly advised PM Najib to ‘clear his name in court'.

Why is he so afraid to do that? Do it and shut up the foreign and local rumour-mongers once and for all.

Isn't this the direction a foreign affairs minister would advise his PM if he thinks foreigners are out to bring down his own boss?

The more the PM avoids or evades this issue, the more there is to shape perceptions.

On Umno: No decision on Penanti, 8 state chiefs axed

Timmy Say:

How many people hold some secrets that could jeopardise the PM's position? Well, you have your answer by the following Umno's supreme council line-up.

This is what happens when the PM has too much baggage. He has to answer to everyone in order to keep them happy so that some secrets will forever remain as secrets.

Long dark days ahead. Brace yourselves people.

On Burmese refugees 'treated like a commodity

Thomas Cranmer: I read the above report and wept. Surely, the government is blind that it lets such abuses continue even until today. I could not bear to read the article to the end.

It breaks my heart to think that this nation is so greedy and selfish. It is certainly greed and selfishness which is behind this problem.

God created the whole world, and it belongs to him alone. How can we stand up and greedily claim that Malaysia is for Malaysians alone? That is nonsense, utter and absolute nonsense.

No man can claim to own something which belongs to God, and no many may say ‘this land is mine and not yours' for God has created all men equal.

I plead with everyone I can reach that they might rethink their selfish attitudes and welcome every one of their brothers and sisters as equals, whether they be from Burma, Bangsar or Bangladesh.

Dr Job Dhanaraj: I am not going to accuse anybody for I know that there is a Supreme Judge whose eyes searches the hearts of man. Where can man hide?

And all our actions are recorded in His book - who can erase it? Who can escape His judgment? No Tun, Datuk Seri, Puan Sri, Tan Sri, Datuk, Datin or ordinary person can escape or hide from the Almighty.

Let us repent for all that we have done to these miserable people. Repenting alone is not enough, we must turn away from our wickedness. God have mercy upon us.

On Catholics oppose new non-'Allah' Bible

Mengchai: Religion, be it of any origin, is a teaching and guidance on how to be good.

Does it really matter whether some words can only be used by Muslims only and some words by Christians only?

It will only make matters worse if each tries to monopolise the words in the Holy Books.

What is most important is to have mutual understanding and religious tolerance and do your part to spread your religion for a peaceful society to live harmoniously.

It is not necessary to be petty and create more confusion for the already tainted relationship between these two religions.