Wan Sou Hai is correct Malaysian leaders living in their little kingdoms show their immaturity when they demand apologies and take actions like banning a reading material. Are they so naive not to know the day they made an issue of it, it had entered the electronic mail boxes of almost every young professional in Kuala Lumpur?

In most democratic countries, the press is allowed a free hand to either support or criticise government policies. This is clearly seen in Europe, UK and the US before the Iraq war when the press either wrote in favour of the war or against, and roused the public to action.

Even the questions we saw each day at the US Central Command was no PR exercise but truthful, hard-hitting questions. If the US government or military were to take offense and ask for an apology, there would have been an uproar and furor from the reporters and correspondents.

Not so in the little kingdom of Malaysia where there is political utopia for the BN leaders. Ministers enter press conferences not expecting confrontational questions. The press are owned directly or indirectly by businessmen closely linked to the ruling elite. If there are any strongly-worded reports, they are "allowed" by the editors because of certain internal politicking in the upper echelons.

In this respect, unless the government leaders feels secure enough to allow a certain degree of independence and free press, Malaysia will not be an informed society, let alone excelling in the K-economy. The DPM said it rightly, we shall forever remain shackled in our third world mentality