The 11th general election came and went and we are now left to accept the faces that have been appointed into the Cabinet. While some give us hope, others remind us of the country's sorry state of affairs.

Hope is what we need most today. More so due to the trials and tribulations of recent years that almost shook our faith in the ruling government.

And there is another reason to be hopeful. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has done a favour to the sports fraternity by appointing the no-nonsense Puteri Umno chief Azalina Othman Said as the Youth and Sports Minister.

Her appointment as the first Malaysian woman Youth and Sports Minister gives us hope that the proverbial glass ceiling might come crashing down.

With her disciplined approach (thanks to her black belt in taekwondo), Azalina might just be the panacea needed to solve the ills plaguing Malaysian sports. Azalina, here I leave you with some words of encouragement as well as some caveat emptor that hopefully will be kept in mind.

If you had been appointed minister or a deputy minister of a different portfolio, perhaps the public reaction would have been subdued. But since you have the important Youth and Sports Ministry portfolio, it is imperative that you have your ears to the ground.

Turun padang as often as possible. Determine for yourself the state of affairs of the youth and sports in this country. Never shy away from seeking the truth and most importantly, Miss Minister, never compromise when it comes to shaping the future of our youth and sports.

As chief of a young women's movement, Puteri Umno, you have the experience of reaching out to youth. However, since Rome wasn't built in a day, we the rakyat are certainly not expecting any miracles from you and are aware that you will need time to get things moving.

Azalina, we realise the responsibilities that you now shoulder but at the same time we would also like you to practise what you preach. To quote former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 'call a spade a spade' but under no circumstances must any compromises be made.

Your appointment to the ministry comes as a fresh breath of air. There are and will be expectations concerning your ministry's performance. It does not matter that you're a junior politician. What matters is how capable you are in 'tackling the bull by its horns.'

The rakyat hopes that you do your best not only to solve the ills that plague local sports but that you also pay equal emphasis towards reversing the decline in our youths' morale.

Be pro-active, be open to suggestions and at the same time be humble when criticisms are slapped on your ministry.

Do what needs to be done to clean up the mess. Never mind whatever 'labels' are thrown at you. At the same time, stay clear of money politics and make sure you are nowhere near the path of seduction that power and politics bring.

It is said that 'character is destiny and we hope (yes, it's the hope word again) that you reflect that through the efforts of your ministry.