So what has the AG got to say regarding Mohd Said's public admission that he told the Customs Department to "close one eye" for a friend?


Joey Chan: Anwar Ibrahim was jailed for supposedly telling the police to "close one eye" on a certain investigation. The prosecutor then is now our attorney-general. What has the AG got to say regarding Mohd Said's public admission that he told the Customs Department to "close one eye" for a friend? Are there different standards applied for the same "wrong" in this country? Is this Pak Lah's definition of transparency, accountability and responsibility? Lies, and more lies from a government that has (unfortunately) absolute power.


Ir I Omar: To his credit, Shahrir has offered to show the way to all parliamentarians. This way to the modern way and unbigoted way of thinking. To their shame, the BN MPs has refused to take up the invitation to emerge from the age of darkness to the age of reason.


Concerned Malaysian: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said, "...we don't support a motion tabled by the opposition." Did he really mean that 'anything', and I mean anything, proposed by the opposition will not be acceptable to the BN? This is utter rubbish!

What happens if this nation is faced with an invasion and Lim Kit Siang calls for a conscription of his people to defend the nation. Does this mean that BN will object and allow foreign forces to come in and leave the fighting to our man in uniform? Or there is a national epidemic and LKS proposes some form of quarantine to contain the disease. Is the BN going to object to such a proposal?

LKS has all along proposed that English should be brought back so that graduates could stand a better chance in the employment market. Well, the BN objected out of sheer pride and the consequences are there for all of us to see today. Finally Mahathir saw the light of day and decided to go along with the suggestion although the end result was a 'half-past six' idea.


Siew Eng: Dear Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz and other BN MPs who "usually ... don't support a motion tabled by the opposition".

I wonder how you can get to where you are and not understand the system of parliamentary democracy. The opposition are as much representatives of the people you are. The opposition's motions are an extension of the people's concerns so you should not and cannot dismiss their motions or opinions. They're there to do the same job you're doing - representing the people! And they are doing a heckuva thankless job considering the many racist and ad hominem attacks by ignorant BN representatives who cannot see them as representatives of the rakyat but only know to follow the herd instinct, never applying their grey cells or listening to their conscience (presumably because they have neither).

As for respecting the majority decision in the House, as someone once said: Sometimes a majority means all the fools are on the same side. For an example, look at how the majority voted Mawi as the Akademi Fantasi winner (nice boy, but so many people I've encountered from taxi driver to newspaper production editor say they can perform and sing better).

As for Shahrir Samad, there are only two things wrong with him: 1. He's in Umno. 2. He didn't support the IPCMC.


Joe Public: MP for Jasin, Mohd Said Yusof's explanation on why he asked Customs to close one eye, is symptomatic of what is wrong in our country. As a lawmaker, the fact that he thought it was nothing wrong makes it the more serious.

Shahrir should be commended for having taken a stand for his principles as BBC chairman. If Parliament does not take the lead in upholding integrity, then who else?

Nazri's explanation that "it is not that we disagree with Shahrir but it's an opposition motion and we usually reject their motions" reflects the immaturity of our state of democracy. It means BN MPs will not use their brains nor common sense in deciding whether to support a motion, just 'aye' if BN's and 'nay' if opposition. Might as well be robots programmed with binary 1 for 'yes' if BN, and 0 for 'no' if opposition.


Ernest: What this Parliament needs is more people who will carry out what Shahtrir have done - not the quitting but to stand on principles.

Many of the MPs are confused and lost. They just opposed to propositions from the opposition party. The rakyat will have more respect for these MP if they are reasonable. Please do not oppose something because it is from the opposition party.

All those MPs who objected should deserve a "whip" from the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Parliamentary independence, autonomy, credibility and integrity is sacrificed just because something important is raised by the opposition. How can we allow this to happened.

Another minister mentioned that 'they just don't support as they don't support a motion tabled by the opposition' shows that we are blinded by our political stand and not thinking for the bigger picture. All programmes to make the administration clean, uncorrupted, efficient is simply advertising gimmick. Can our MP stand up and apologise and move the motion to have a thorough investigation and action be taken on the relevant party?

YB Shahrir, you are indeed yang berhormat on this issue. Let more leaders follow the step to stand for what is right for the rakyat. Don't quit.


Han Yean Toon: While heaping kudos to YB Dato Shahrir Abdul Samad, let us not forget the other Malaysian with guts - the Customs and Excise chief who acted without fear or favour. Hats off to both of you.


AB Ipoh: What is there to be surprised or shocked about the behaviour of the Barisan MPs in Parliament or outside Parliament. It has been a long time that Malaysians who can think and decide rationally, knew the robotic attitude of the Barisan MPs. They cannot discern any issue without being lugged by the nose by their political masters. The constituents are not the important people in their lives, it is their master in government who distributes the goodies for the 'good and obdient' Mps.

So Shahrir, you have been living in a world of your dreams and now have been jolted out of it unfortunately. Simply opposing a issue because it is an opposition motion indicates the 'cowards and insipids' in the Barisan. All you voters of the Barisan be gleeful for another show of parliamentary mockery in Malaysia.


The following are readers' comments on other reports. This one is on 'The Last Communist' banned


AB Sulaiman: Apparently it is banned by the Home Affairs Ministry citing it being against 'public interest'. I think this audacious ban is paradoxical to the overall national aspiration of developing a creative, inventive and innovative first-class Bangsa Malaysia and governed by an equally creative, inventive and innovative (and far-sighted) first-class government. A 'first class' government (in this case the Home Affairs Ministry) acts with responsibility, accountability and transparency in encouraging the growth and development of its citizens. I do not see any of these vital elements in this particular act.

In the event I request the ministry to define the 'public interest' it claims to guard. I am openly hinting it should not mean 'racial and religious interest' for then the ministry would sound more like 'guarding Malay prejudices' or as the Malay ubiquitously puts it 'untuk agama, bangsa dan negara'.


On Not true students forced to watch porn


Concerned Rakyat: I find it outrageous this school in Johor is showing videos on rapes. Is this part of the school syllabus? At the age of 13, these kinds of material are often interpreted as pornography. I am really worried for all our children who are in the 'kebangsaan' schools now especially when Nor Omar is deputy education minister. It will not be surprising if he try to twist the fact and claim that the porno video is an instruction tape on how to avoid rape.


On Jais: No reports of Muslim patients being 'influenced'


A Malaysian Christian: "Fakrul told malaysiakini that Christian and Buddhist groups were hiding behind the veil of social service to spread their teachings in hospitals around the state." I am Catholic Christian and at one time was very involved with the St Vincent de Paul Society For The Poor.

Once a month, our society would distribute rations to the destitutes living around our parish be they Indians, Malays or Chinese. Here we have very poor Malays who needed help. Does Fakrul therefore imply that we should ignore the Malays (and leave them to die of hunger) and only distribute the rations to the Indians and the Chinese? If we were to do so, then where is our sense of humanity?

When there is a national disaster, does he also mean that the Red Cross and the St John's Ambulance bodies help only the non-Muslims and not the Malays without being seen as spreading Christian doctrine behind the veil of social service? I have a friend who is of the Bahai faith. Some Sundays of the month, they do mass cooking for the inmates of the prisons. Again, does he mean that they only serve the non-Muslims and not the Malays?

When the tsunami struck Aceh in December 2004, who were the first to respond in providing aids? Not the Muslim countries, but the so-called Christian West. But did any of these life savers go there to preach Christian doctrine? No, their priority was to save lives. When humanity is concerned, it transcends all religions, period, and I would appreciate it if our people be less paranoid.