I refer to Din Merican's letter Separate Muslim unity call and domestic woes. I think he has completely missed the point when he disputed the view that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's attempt to talk about peace and justice in the Middle East is hollow when there are problems at home to be solved.

Din must be kidding himself if he thinks a national leader can make a statement abroad which is completely contradictory to his actions at home, and get away with it. Obviously the only leader in this world who thinks he can do this is Mahathir. And he is able to do this because his party controls the media which does not allow the public to truly dissect what his political stands are (note the plural), at home and abroad.

It is because of this that Mahathir thinks he can declare Malaysia to be an Islamic state in Parliament, a few months after he told US investors to beware of the 'Islamic forces' at work in Malaysia.

Mahathir thinks his police force can arrest people indiscriminately, defame them without evidence and beat them in custody and then turn to the US to protest the way they treat the Taliban fighters in Guantanamo Bay.

Who else can say such 'sweet things' to attract American investors, open up our markets, privatise key public goods like education and health, while at the same time denouncing global capitalism as a Jewish conspiracy?

Only Mahathir can equate Palestinian suicide bombers with the Israeli military as terrorists to make waves in the international media, then on the next day said the Palestinian struggle methods are 'legitimate' for local consumption, .

Mahathir has never had any qualms about being inconsistent with his views, or even maintaining contradicting views at the same time. But of course in Malaysia, we don't get to grill him about these inconsistencies because our journalists are enfeebled.

It's all a matter of credibility. While no one says that talking about Muslim unity and peace is not important — it is just as important that the person who is saying it is credible enough. If Ariel Sharon were to go around talking about 'peace and justice' I am sure people, perhaps even Din Merican, will be cynical about it.

Mahathir talking about Muslim unity when he is the one responsible for disuniting the Muslims in this country is equivalent to George W Bush talking about saving the environment.

As for 'rule of law'? Din Merican must be one of the very few people left in this country who believe that we have respect for that concept. And I am also glad to see that there are still those who believe in the credibility of Suhakam.