vox populi big thumbnail 'Those selected serve a certain number of hours over a period of say, two years. In this way, there is flexibility for participants to complete their stint at their own pace.'

On NS deaths: We know now who to blame

Sengfatt Tang: Perhaps the government should rethink of a better was of fostering racial harmony and achieving all the other goals of the NS programme. Aside from re-looking at the current education system, the authorities should perhaps design non-residential or short stay community service programmes to achieve the NS goals.

Those selected can be required to serve a certain number of hours over a period of say, two years. In this way, there would be flexibility for the participants to complete their stint at their own pace.

This would reduce disruptions to their studies, careers and family duties. The community services programme should offer several options which will best serve the inclinations of the participants and at the same time be beneficial to all Malaysians. The options can be environmental, social or even internships at various government departments and agencies if not the Parliament.

This, I foresee could be significantly cheaper than the current NS programme, less risky to the participants and more productive.

Sincere Malaysian: The primary objective of the NS programme is to foster better integration among the youths from the various racial groups. I believe this objective can be achieved at a much lower cost (both financial and to the lives of the youths) through a properly managed community service programme. In this programme, the youths are assigned to community work that is within their locality. Participants will be staying at home and need only report to the venue of their respective community project daily.

It is by working together that they will understand one another and true and lasting friendship are achieved. It will do away with all the logistic headaches, uniforms and what-not. All that is needed is an appropriately designed T-shirt (maybe three to four per participant.)

We are also killing two birds with one stone through this community project. I hope Lee Lam Thye will seriously look into this proposal to replace the existing NS programme if he and the rest are sincere in their objectives of the NS and are not opportunists.

Clippy Mee: I suggest that a poll be conducted to gauge the necessity of the National Service programme among the parents of would-be conscripts. We cannot continue to send youths to the camp and see a body returned to the parents. This sort of happenings have to stop. We have to put a stop to this idiotic idea of the BN manipulators of this scheme.

Phoon Khar Yue: It continues to baffle me that only after Too Hui Min died did Najib decide to propose medical tests for NS trainees. I find it inexcusable that they overlooked such a fundamental, yet imperative, necessity which would have otherwise prevented the death of 15 teenagers. This is comparable to throwing someone into the deep end without even knowing if they could even swim.

Furthermore, the response from the health minister that 'full checkups are costly' is equally condemnable. How can the government be so stingy when it comes to saving lives? After all, it is the taxpayers' monies.

Voter 2008: Sometime ago, there was a letter in the mainstream press in which the writer asked if there were any children of government VIPs who had done National Service and if so, whose? To date, there has been no response so we can safely assume that no children of the government’s big-shots have ever done National Service.

Perhaps this government should bear in mind that the electorate does not want a government that would put the electorate's children at risk but not their own.

On Protect Karpal's right to views, says Santiago

New Generation Kid: With all due respect to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, I read with disgust your recent remarks on the Karpal issue. First of all, you contradict yourself because just around one month ago, when you were embroiled in the Terengganu menteri besar selection episode, the whole country heard your comment when you termed the move by the Terengganu Sultan in appointing his choice of a menteri besar as ‘unconstitutional’.

Yet, when Karpal Singh made a similar comment, you are trumpeting that he is wrong and needs to be punished. You do not have any right to comment on the punishment of Karpal as the matter is yet to be brought to court. Haven't you learnt in school before that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty? Don't you have any respect for the due process of the law?

Your actions only further confirm your government's legacy of double-standards which inevitably caused their dismal performance of the BN coalition under your leadership in the recent general election.

On The domino effect - Sabah crossovers

Michael Aitken: I would watch for September 15 as this is a very important date that Peninsular Malaysians take for granted, but Sabahans remember well. MPs from Sabah like PBS' Edmund Chong Ket Wah have through the course of their political career been approached to join not only PKR but BN with all but an open cheque book. But like Edmund, who is related to the Hugan Siau, and is very loyal to the paramount leader of the Kadazans, Joseph Pairin Kitingan. most non-Umno MPs will not leap unless there is strong indication from Pairin that they should.

Pairin himself a veteran politician who was the last leader to go down with the now virtual abolished Hak Ketuanan Bumiputra Kadazan/Dusun. I feel if Abdullah continues to just sit and ponder and continue to’look into it’ and not act to place a lot more Sabahan MPs to full ministerial posts, the last bastion of BN could well be the first nail in the proverbial coffin unless Pairin sees real changes in the recognition of Christian Bumiputeras as full ministers and not puppets in pockets.

Many would think Pairin made his bed with the devil for the last time when he joined BN. But he is Hugan Siau, the paramount leader of the Kadazan/Dusuns, He is a people’s man not just a politician.

On May 13: Pakatan Rakyat wants truth unearthed

Om Prakash: This national tragedy of the past will never be gone from the news, it will always be reflected for better or for worst. The government of the day owes the country and the world a fair and transparent royal inquiry to expose the lies and those in authority who are guilty of involvement. How can such tragedy be closed without any action being taken against anyone? How can the country be considered lawful and stable when the government has closed one eye or both eyes for the sake of unity and peace? Does it mean that such tragedies can be closed for a greater good? If that is so, it implies crimes committed can be overlooked for the sake of national interest. If that is so, then laws can be applied as and when it suits national or political interests which is exactly what has been implied.

This is the very root of today's political and national problems - sweep under the carpet that which brings no benefit to political and national interests. Where then are the universal and human values that religions and the education system teach the citizens? Come to think of it, our education system does not teach such clear values so now we understand why students are being processed out of a factory to earn a living. The May 13 tragedy must be investigated and those living or dead must be tried in court to put history in the right perspective.

Even the Pol Pot regime is being tried in the World Court. People now or in the future will not allow the May 13 incidents to be kept closed, the truth must be eventually exposed for the good of the country and a lesson to be learned. The history of this tragedy is full of lies, doubts and political involvement. If we sweep it away it can always be used again by those in power for political mileage and for racial threats. Remember the ISA? We must together push for the truth.

On 'Snooping to power' in MCA

Tan Soo Huat: It will be another Lingam Tape in the making, first denied as hearsay, later turns out to be true. This is the form of ‘healthy politics’ pursued by MCA’s top leadership. It has a lot of resemblance to China Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution. In fact, shortly after coming to power, the Ong Brothers have taken a keen interest to adopt the kind of leadership installed by the China's Communist Party.

The MCA’s party elections this year will be interesting but not so much as who would win or lose. It is a battle to decide whether the party can revive itself if the present leadership is destined to continue leading the party. The members are very skeptical given the kind of leadership in power. A change should start from the top and not from the bottom, otherwise it will fail once and forever.

On No enforcement power for new corruption body

Popeye: What Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz mentioned is something that I have already expected from the date of the twin announcements by the PM on the MCAC and the commission overseeing judicial appointments. The euphoria exhibited by the general public and various professional bodies including the Bar Association was quite quixotical and rather silly. When I read the proposed scheme I told all my friends that this was really a lot of hogwash as each proposal had the almighty caveat that the PM had the final say.

Therein lies the crux of all our problems. It is the many PMs including the current one that has been the root of all the problems. One just cannot put a python in charge of the henhouse. What Mohd Nazri is saying to all you guys including the Bar Association is simple - ‘you guys are dumb’.

On Anwar defends morality of crossovers

Toh SP: Morality works both ways. In the past, when Gerakan (which was then an opposition party) joined BN en-bloc, did anyone raise the question of the morality of crossovers? Similarly, when opposition MPs join BN individually, did anyone raise the question of morality of the crossovers? So why the big hoo-ha now? Because it is to BN's disadvantage?

On Khairy's debate on royal address riles opposition

Overseas Malaysian: Khairy's attempt in trying to divert attention from major national issues and BN's present predicament in the Parliament with his recent remarks can easily be exposed as below :

1. In trying to raise racial issues by questioning PAS's stand on the non existent 'social contract', it reflects his racist views and desperate attempt to divert away public resentment with the present administration on many specific racial issues.

2. His creative abbreviation of PKR by relating it to the pig farm project in Selangor (which incidentally was approved by the previous BN Selangor state government) was done with a selective memory and in poor taste. It speaks of his inability to be objective and of his uncultured character.

3. His pathetic effort in trying to champion for the monarchy by misleading and exaggerating Karpal Singh's remarks is not only opportunistic but one that is done with the purpose of trying to take advantage of HRH Sultan Perak immaculate reputation and popularity for vested interests.

Dr V Nedunchelian: KJ is showing his true colours by being so arrogant. He does not understand the modus operandi of the august house. The funny and clownic thing is that the deputy speaker allowed him to deliver his speech which is only relevent to be a lullaby to his newly-born Khairy Jr.

I just can't imagine he being minister or PM of my country. My sincere advice to the speaker and deputy speakers is be fair to every MP or disqualify yourselves. Don't waste public funds on your pay.

On Pakatan accepts Karpal's clarification

Kader: I like Saudara Anwar Ibrahim’s observations of Karpal’s brush with the Umno-run media and henchmen. I fully agree with his advice to all PR elected reps to handle the royalty issue with the highest sensitivity. The blatant double standard and bias exhibited by BN leaders including the top man makes me sick to the point of wishing that GE 13 would be happening tomorrow.

On Pakatan wives to pursue Bunga Tanjung debacle

John Johnson: It is indeed appalling to know that MPs and their wives are bickering on the legality and transfer of the funds when there are so many needy associations and organisations in dire need of financial help. Take the cyclone tragedy in Burma as an example. So much food and aid is needed but here we have people sitting on the funds and squabbling on legal and personal issues.

Get this right - the funds do not belong to you. Do the decent thing and disburse it as quickly as possible to the needy folks out there.

On Sedition Act or Sedation Act?

Anon: Reading the article brings to my mind the importance of semiotics. Here is a thought-provoking primer on semiotics :

Quote from the last paragraph of the introduction: ‘Semiotics is important because it can help us not to take 'reality' for granted as something having a purely objective existence which is independent of human interpretation. It teaches us that reality is a system of signs. Studying semiotics can assist us to become more aware of reality as a construction and of the roles played by ourselves and others in constructing it. It can help us to realize that information or meaning is not 'contained' in the world or in books, computers or audio-visual media. Meaning is not 'transmitted' to us - we actively create it according to a complex interplay of codes or conventions of which we are normally unaware. Becoming aware of such codes is both inherently fascinating and intellectually empowering. We learn from semiotics that we live in a world of signs and we have no way of understanding anything except through signs and the codes into which they are organized.

Through the study of semiotics we become aware that these signs and codes are normally transparent and disguise our task in 'reading' them. Living in a world of increasingly visual signs, we need to learn that even the most 'realistic' signs are not what they appear to be. By making more explicit the codes by which signs are interpreted we may perform the valuable semiotic function of 'denaturalizing' signs. In defining realities signs serve ideological functions. Deconstructing and contesting the realities of signs can reveal whose realities are privileged and whose are suppressed. The study of signs is the study of the construction and maintenance of reality. To decline such a study is to leave to others the control of the world of meanings which we inhabit.’