I think most people would agree with reader Ong BK and member of Parliament Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) on the need to have conscience voting in certain cases instead of blind support for the leadership and party.

So soon after our PM's offer to the opposition parties to join Barisan Nasional which gave rise to the question whether there is a need for an opposition, his comment that Penang state assembly members Tan Cheng Liang (MCA-Jawi) and Lim Boo Chang (MCA-Datuk Keramat) may be punished for not toeing the party line says it all about the kind of opposition within the BN that is on offer.

It will be a de facto dictatorship under the guise of democracy.

With the present climate of our leaders not listening to the people vis-a-vis the appointment and/or protection of certain leaders, BN seems to be out of touch with the people's aspiration.

There is no doubt it has two-thirds majority in Parliament and controls 12 out of 14 states but if you ask any fair-minded person, especially students, he or she will say the government is arrogant, to put it mildly.

Unless they are out to take the easy way up by being yes-men, their conscience will only lead them towards the opposition.

Whenever there is a controversial case where the person on the street is clear about who is right and who is in the wrong, the deafening silence of the cabinet ministers and other top leaders make them incredibly uncaring or even ludicrous.

All because of party 'discipline', their intellect, conscience and common sense become non-existent.

The people who write letters criticising the government seem so intellectual, conscientious and sensible that we wonder what the leaders are good for, especially those whose public-speaking ability leaves much to be desired.