Pak Lah's flippant remark on the irrelevance of Anwar Ibrahim and the issue being a more personal matter between Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar, indicates to me a lack of courage and backbone in our new PM. Well, there may be people out there who may think that Anwar is a non-issue but there are as many who still think that he is.

In conveniently sidestepping the issue by blaming it on Mahathir and leaving it to the courts, he is telling us that he has no opinion on the matter and therefore should not be held accountable - the art of tai-chi at its best and irresponsible of a leader.

His stance is symptomatic of his attitude towards issues that do not reflect on him favourably. How many times have we heard him tell us that he has not yet been briefed or read 'the report'. It seems that the report will be never read and he will never have an opinion.

If pushed further he will pass it on to the relevant authorities and will not interfere in their investigation and findings. If cornered he will use his 'why do you keep asking me that' in an irritated tone which would shut up the questioner.

As the leader of our country he must be able to shoot off-the-cuff like our former PM, and must have an opinion, either wrong or right, on any issue that concerns the country. He cannot sit on the fence and wait for events to overtake the issue or wait to see where the wind blows. Sure, Mahathir has got into trouble doing this but at least he shows he is a decisive leader.

Pak Lah revels in well-planned moments, but he will be caught out more and more often as he becomes more embroiled in games of high stakes. For example, by refusing to counter Abdul Hadi Awang's allegations, he shows that he would rather look away than stare into the eyes of a tiger.

No doubt Pak Lah has benefited greatly from the recent facelift advocated no doubt by his think tank, but will cosmetic changes be enough for him to face the challenges that will come from within and without?

When the going gets tough will he grab the bull by its horns or will he run for cover?