vox populi big thumbnail To brazenly say they (PAS) can take the EC to court only shows how corrupt the entire system is. The EC chief is confident how the courts will judge.

Francis T Rozario: DAP has come out with the right manifesto ‘Just change it’. The revelations of recent times have indicated how corrupt this government is, from the judiciary, to the police force to the Anti Corruption Agency to the BN government, and now the cracks in the Election Commission whose head refuses to speak to anyone but the official media which we all know is the mouthpiece of the government.

A statutory declaration that is not stamped is no statutory declaration, even the office boys and peons will tell you this. They get these documents stamped, you do not need to ask the head of the commission, and to brazenly say they (the PAS) can take it to court only shows how corrupt the entire system is. He knows what he is talking about when he says, ‘Take it to the courts’ as he is confident how the courts will judge.

This is the level of democracy that is going to be dished out by this BN government for nothing they do will be wrong because they have ensured that the machinery put in place to establish the checks and balance is heavily on their side and there is no way the ordinary citizen can be assured of taking them to task.

In fact I am beginning to doubt if this elections will be any fairer. It is a last attempt on our part and as the DAP says ‘Just change it’. We need to muster all the support we can get to oust the Samy Vellus, the Ongs, and the Kohs who try and pull wool over the eyes of the rakyat and rob us of our very heritage. Vote wisely Vote against the BN.

Very Sad Taxpayer: I am taxpayer in this country. I am deeply troubled to see our Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister misuse the government offices and other facilities to do party (BN) jobs. The whole world knew that the PM and DPM were at their 'official' offices at Putrajaya for the few days before the Nomination Day just to finalise their candidates list. I am wondering how that becomes their 'caretaker' jobs? Shouldn't have they used BN offices to finalise their lists? I believe they should also have taken leave to do so, right?

In the1980's, the ex-Indian PM, Indira Ghandi, won a parliament seat in an election. But that decision was revised after the opposition complained that she used a government jeep to run her campaign. But here in Malaysia., it is very sad because no one will complain because our EC will never take action. They are BN's ardent supporters I guess.

On BN manifesto: Security, peace, prosperity

YSM: In order to preempt any surprises by the BN-led government; let me just say that I am not a soothsayer but the following will occur within six months of the general election this March, 2008 following the BN’s victory.

price of petrol will increase by RM0.30 per gallon

Price of controlled flour, oil and sugar will also increase by at least 10%

toll rates for roads and highways will increase by 20%

there will be renewed pressure and clamping down on bloggers and troublemakers. The government will become more authoritarian

High profile cases like the Lingam Tape scandal and the Altantuya murder will be dropped

Corruption will worsen and together with an economic downturn, the country will spiral into a recession.

The package all seems to be good for now behind the smiles is threatening gloom. We must vote wisely and not look back in regret.

3rd Generation Malaysian: Yes, all we are asking for is a level playing field. I agree whole heartedly with Not So Stupid that we, the non-bumiputras, are NOT asking for handouts. All we want, after 50 years if independence, is a level playing field for all, irrespective of race. No more handouts, no more NEP whatsoever. Put pure meritocracy into practice and not the kind of pseudo-meritocracy that is currently being passed off as the real thing.

Yes, do away with the matriculation. It is killing our universities. Have entry criterions for all public universities that are accepted worldwide. I suggest we bring back the Cambridge ‘A’ Levels. The matriculation produces students with false meritocracy, just to satisfy entry requirements of our public universities and nothing more.

The list grievances of the non-bumiputras are endless. The NEP is the main cause of this and requires the moral courage of the government of today to put it to sleep once and for all. Make way for healthy and fair competition on a level playing field to prevail.

I was born a Malaysian and will always be one. Home is where the heart is and my heart is still here in Malaysia. I hope that in my lifetime, I will be able to see the timely demise of the NEP and the birth of a new beginning for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

Citizen : It is quite strange that Nazri Abdul Aziz, the chief spokesman for the Prime Minister, has been in low profile. He has uttered very seditious words about Hindraf and the Indians in the country and all of a sudden he is missing in action.

Is he in the hiding undercover from any serious criminal offences or is he carrying out some activities to topple Khairy or Najib? Can someone give him some space in the news for people to know more about his moves.

Abd Rahman Said Alli: The nominations exercise concluded as if there is nothing seriously wrong in the country. Please do not be lulled into complacency by the skewed media. Let us stop and think. Do you still think and feel that the MIC is still relevant anymore? I and my friends are of the opinion that it has long become obsolete except for personal gains for a selected few. It is time MIC goes under to usher in the idea that politics based on race is a thing of the past.

Let us think of what would happen if the status quo is maintained in this GE. Samy will say that everything is fine. Let those ‘trouble-makers’ be kept longer under ISA detention. Thus a vote for BN means we support BN policies including ISA and more importantly the recent detention exercise. I and my friends think that it is time we show our disapproval of ISA detention by not voting in favour of BN so that they think twice before invoking the ISA in the future.

It has been said many times that we Indians can decide the winner although we are a minority group. Let us prove this hypothesis as correct so that political parties, or more specially, the ruling party becomes more mindful of the Indian minority.

Ganesan Suprumanian: I was so disappointed with RTM which is suppose to be the people’s tv. Is seems like it has become Barisan Nasional TV. Why is there no coverage on the opposition manifestos?

On Subra bows out after raising expectations

Kenny: Based on your report, I think the writer didn’t consider an important aspect about why Subra did not stand in Sungai Siput. If Subra had challenged Samy there, he would have split the BN votes, thus making it easier for PKR’s Jayakumar to win the seat. This would have put him in a very bad situation with BN and its supporters.

This will be remembered when Samy steps down, and party elections are called for the presidential post. Samy Vellu and his ‘preferred’ candidates will certainly not forget to remind the party electorate that Subra was the man who caused MIC and BN to lose an important parliamentary seat because of his greed. BN and Umno will also go after Subra and probably expose a lot of dirt on him.

I think Subra made a wise decision not to go head-to-head against Samy, since he is depending on MIC for his political survival.

On Penang: Independents spring forth

Penangite: My hometown is Penang and I love the place. So do the rest of the Penangites who wish to see Penang as vibrant and as popular as Singapore or Hong Kong. We can realise that what is holding us back is the Gerakan/BN administration.

I do wish that this time around, the people will vote in the DAP which is actually an offshoot of Lee Kuan Yew’s PAP. With the help of PKR to make up the balance, this is the only chance for us to see a definite, unbiased change for the good of Penang. Good luck.

On I'm staying in Taiping, says Kayveas

Mohd Kamal Abdullah: Having a 'mosquito' party with its membership dwindling, Barisan Nasional leadership, after much controversy, had given M. Kayveas of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) the Taiping Parliament seat to re-contest.

After having the blessings of the Barisan Nasional leadership, the remarks made towards his component partners were really uncalled for. Kayveas fails to realise that this time around, his chances are steep, since many resident voters had expressed their displeasure with his tenure.

Kayveas is a 'show-of' man who looks for cheap publicity. Most people are aware of his motives.

In the interest of the other BN component parties, it is expected that the Taiping voters vote against Kayveas for his unwanted remarks criticising them of their way in handling certain issues, which is of no concern of his.

On Will urban voters trigger the tipping point?

Teo Chuen Tick: This is the first piece of independent polls analysis for which I feel somewhat uplifted after reading. It holds out the hope that this time round, enough factors are in place for voters to deny BN their 2/3rds majority.I believe that will see the start towards a more democratic and a better civil society in Malaysia.

On Website wants you to write letters to Pak Lah

I Am Telling The Truth: As long as readers' comments are going to be filtered, I doubt the website concerned will attract sincere and truthful opinions. Anyway, do you think PM really want us 'to tell him the truth' as he once told Malaysians?

On Bar Council, Lazar, Haidar improper

Johann Foo: I do not agree that Haidar Mohd Noor should have stepped down because the ‘relationship’ he had with one of the witnesses had ended many years ago. However, I do think the royal commission may well have been better served by a better chairperson.

For me, Haidar Mohd Noor seemed too keen to suppress information that would appear to be damaging to the judiciary or the government, often citing that such information or evidence was beyond the scope of the inquiry. That’s a pity because the commission has a great opportunity to do a thorough cleansing of the judicial system . However, the desire to wear tight blinkers seemed to prevail. There is a danger many will see it as somewhat of a kangaroo court in the making.

Also, I do not think Lazar should have stepped down simply because Lingam had accused Lazar of having once approached him for help to be appointed an appeals court judge. I disagree with the writer because Lingam did not provide any evidence to back his accusation and if Lazar, or anyone involved in the proceedings, must recuse himself based purely on hearsay, then all Lingam had to do was make other unsubstantiated claims against any counsel or commissioner to frustrate the inquiry. That makes Malaysian style justice a bigger laughing stock.

Could the Lingam claim be true? I’d be surprised that Lazar could have become a partner in an established law firm if he had thought that his solicitation for a judgeship might not surface if he accepted to represent the Bar council in the inquiry. But strange things have happened to the best of people. However we need proof if we are a nation of laws.