After the most scathing attack by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a reader advises Pak Lah to speed up the next polls so that he could quietly exit from the political scene.

Observer: The leadership in Umno is really split. AAB (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) is going to feel very despair over Mahathir's remarks that he was not the first choice to be PM, and Najib is going to feel mighty pleased with himself that he could have been considered for the post.

I guess AAB had better speed up the next general election so that he may quietly exit from the political scene. The recent remark by Mahathir is just but one more shove for AAB over the political edge.

Sadly Right: Hah! Dr M said his choice of Pak Lah was wrong, and Pak Lah should be grateful because Najib got more votes at the Umno elections. Well, if Najib had been PM in the last election, there is no way BN would have gotten the 90% majority.

The fact is that many pro-democracy, anti-cronyism people in the country (including my wife) believed Pak Lah's reputation as a good, honest, and anti-corruption person and voted for BN in spite of all the skullduggery of the previous administration. If it had been Najib, people like my

wife would have voted for the opposition.

I was one of the minority of pro-democracy, anti-cronyism people who remained suspicious that Pak Lah was just projecting a good image and that the anti-democratic system and corruption in our country would not change under him. I would have been happy to be proven to be wrong in

this case, but halfway through Pak Lah's term, it appears that I'm correct in my suspicion.

There are a few minor things that Pak Lah has improved, e.g., those projects that Dr M is so upset about. But the vast majority of the malaise in our beloved Malaysia remains.

Leong Su Ann: Mahathir cannot expect the present-day government to do what he wants. I think everyone has been more than fair to him, but everything has its limit. To maintain whatever respect the rakyat still has for him, I think it is best that he keeps his mouth shut until the next general election, like the rest of us, and then cast his vote.

The more he opens his mouth, the more right thinking people sees what he really is. I was a strong supporter of Mahathir, but now no longer. This has nothing to do with being ungrateful, but has to do with seeing through what he is really like. Thank goodness he is no longer in power.

The following are comments from readers in respond to other reports. These are on Pre-dawn strikes against temples decried .

Norman Fernandez: It may be pertinent to observe that the destruction of Hindu temples by local authorities at regular intervals is more prevalent in comparison to the destruction of Chinese temples.

The reason is simple. The local authorities are conscious of the repercussion of demolishing a Chinese temple. It is a known fact that the Chinese community, when humiliated or when their rights have been transgressed, is able to immediately close rank, organise and react in a united manner.

Next, the Chinese community also has the staunch support of the Chinese newspapers. Indifferent to any possible sanctions, these newspapers are prepared, and do boldly highlight, the transgression of the local authorities. The political leaders irrespective of their political divide are also expected to wade in and champion the community's cause.

Finally, the Chinese community are also prepared and if need be, to withdraw or withhold their support during the general election. The Lunas by-election was a classic example. It is the fear of incurring the wrath of the Chinese community, coupled with the fear of loss of Chinese votes during election, which makes the local authorities tread more carefully when it comes to Chinese temples.

For too long, the local authorities, with complete disregard to Indian-Hindus sensitivities, have been able to demolish Hindu temples simply because the Indian-Hindus are and reacts in complete contrast to the Chinese. The local authorities know that the Indians are never united, the Tamil newspapers try not to highlight the issue and the MIC downplays the issue. The local authorities know that after a short flurry of police reports, and maybe a protest note or two to the local authorities, the issue will inevitably soon be forgotten.

Finally, the local authorities also know that unlike the Chinese, the Indians - though humiliated and their rights transgressed - is more likely to continue to vote for Barisan Nasional. This only emboldens the local authorities to carry out the next sacrilege.

Thus, unless and until the Indian-Hindus take a leaf from the Chinese community, demolishing of Hindu temples by local authorities at regular intervals will only continue.

Pttan: Make no exemptions then - everything be torn down and we can see the mayhem. From religious shrines, pondoks, food stalls, burger stalls, car wash, places of worships on playgrounds, sign-boards, container offices and I am sure readers will contribute more. My note to zealots don't hide behind rules and regulations.

R Rama Chandran: Temples desecration gives us a strong message that the minority component parties in Umno, namely MCA, MIC and Gerakan, are mere stooges in the decision making process of Barisan National. Why are these chaps leading these parties so scared even to open their mouths to talk for the rights and righteous matters concerning their own kind. Is this what a coalition is all about? Each understanding the needs of others and appreciating them to avoid conflicts involving sensitivities is the real coalition..Despite Samy's loud mouth, nothing could be done to stop the disaster and destructions of temples.

The main reason for this is the Malay bureaucracy that has taken deep roots into the government system over the last 25 years under Dr Mahathir with no readdress for corrective actions because of political patronage system that exists in this country. There is no sincerity and honesty in the system. Most decisions are a bias and are parochial to satisfy the majority needs or wishes.

This is a bad political philosophy, and worse still, it is anti-Islam. In Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad always advised his followers that they should respect minority interests and livelihood. It is a worst sin to treat minorities worse than the Muslims. I wonder whether the bureaucrats understand their own religion fully.

It is a setback that municipalities do not elect representatives of the people to the local councils but by appoint them for political patronage. This evil must stop and the people must have their own people up there. Besides, all government agencies must have employment of people reflective of the racial composition in this country. Only then can we see some rational decisions made in terms of race/religion relations.

Can Pak Lah and his cabinet do it? Even the Royal Police Commission's recommendations are being ignored. So powerful are the bureaucrats today that it now becomes a case of the tail waging the dog. We must stop the rot. The MCA, MIC and Gerakan must speak up.

On Reduce payment to IPPs, Tenaga told

Raymond Woo: Well, I think our government would not even need to grant TNB a tariff increase if it allowed TNB the rights to proceed on its Broadband over Powerline (BPL).

Such approval would make TNB be a sexier share to hold as it then becomes a quadruple play (electricity, telecommunication, data and broadcast) business.

This could certainly afford them ability to apportion their existing operating expenditure to more revenue, hence ability to financed its operation. The needed additional funds to finance the new business would be easily sourced from both equity and capital market. It has be proved viable in Korea.

This is also in line with govt vision to promote ICT and broadband penetration as an additional player in the broadband offering which gives good challenge to incumbent. This also excites the market. And better bandwidth than those offered by Telekom currently.

On Police 'attack' IPCMC in internal bulletin

HJ Angus: This memo confirms that the government has allowed the police to become too powerful and now appears helpless to correct a major problem. What next? The police will become kingmakers if they can veto anyone whom they do not want to be the nation's leaders.

It show the abject rot that has taken place in the nation's core when a few top police officers can simply ignore recommendations made by a royal commission. If the government fails to act, things will only get worse for democracy in Malaysia. We are almost as bad as Burma but with a more polite face.

On High Court says 'no', Blair to appeal

No Fairplay: Again, I just can't understand the mentality of our people, more shocking that it comes from the legal fraternity. If Cherie Blair is not qualified, or fit, or suitable, to appear in our Malaysian courts, then doesn't it make sense that it would be advantageous to Metramac and interveners of the appeal - ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin and high-profile businessman Abdul Halim Saad. And as for the AG, the Bar Council and the KLBC, where is your sense of providing justice to the ordinary people?

Let Cherie Blair participate in the legal arguments of the case and at the end of it all, it is a matter of who wins and who loses. Why should it bother anyone anyway. If this is the case, then there are many institutions in the country that engage foreigners. Can we then put a stop to this and say that we have enough local experts to manage the companies? All I can say is that our learned cousellors must be suffering from some inferiority complex and are afraid that their inadequacies may manifest themselves during the court hearing.

Let's face it. The world is becoming borderless and WTO is in and the sooner our legal friends come to terms with this fact, the better it is, instead of trying to adopt that protectionism attitude.

On Khir Toyo: Suburb faces landslide disaster

Suburban: It is the same tragedy repeated since the collapse of the Highland Towers as far as human lives are lost involving the same municipality. Government officials behave like the Malay proverb says: "Bagai beruk kena belancan". The publicity stunts with visits of top government officials. Nothing new awaits but the same proverb, "Hangat-hangat tahi ayam" applies to this recent disaster.

It is predictable like the rise and setting of the sun that life will be back to normal as the episode will be forgotten except for the surviving victims. The state and local council officials once again can close bot eyes and ears to unscrupulous housing developers and complaints on environmental concerns - till the next tragedy occurs.

In the meantime, Malaysians will be reminded once and again by lip-service that we must have 'first-class mentality" and a race with strong moral values. Human capital of excellence, glory and distinction. Or is it extinction? Looks like the government authorities are good at "sediakan payung selepas hujan".

On Misyar marriages not just about sex

JJ: As a woman, 29 years of age, single and with ability to sufficiently support myself financially, I support the proposed marriage. It is an alternative to having a proper marriage. For a woman like me, who has problem finding a suitable man to marry, to have such arrangement is useful. Admittedly, single woman also have needs that misyar marriage could complement. But on the worldly components of life, I do not require a man to enjoy it.

On Emperor concerned about fading war memories

Josef Roy Benedict: While the Japanese emperor has voiced concern about fading memories of the nation's wartime conduct among younger generations, Amnesty International hopes he also remembers that system of institutionalised sexual slavery used by the Japanese Imperial Army before and during World War II.

The women forced into sexual slavery were euphemistically known as 'comfort women'. Testimonies and evidence gathered reveals that the women were enslaved against their will and were repeatedly raped, tortured and brutalised for months or years on end, exclusively for the benefit of the Japanese military. The number of victims involved is estimated to be up to 200,000.

AI is calling on the Japanese government to accept of full responsibility for the 'comfort women' system, to make an acceptable apology to the majority of 'comfort women' and their immediate relatives and to ensure adequate and effective compensation directly from the Japanese government to the 'comfort women' or their immediate relatives. As a guarantee of non-repetition the Japan government must also immediately ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. More on AI's campaign here .