Instant action: that seems to be the maxim of the Malaysian political leadership in response to most dramatic events in recent months.

But if you think that our civilised government is one that will give a serious answer to a serious question, then you are guilty of ignorance.

The impending general election is like a rich effluvium, comprising the waste and manure of democracy, from which the ruling coalition will grow again into a tree of absolute power.

It is forgivable if a critic opines that Malaysia's political arena normally leaves one no alternative - you must either be a dunce or a rogue.

The reason is hidden in Lithuanian-born writer and feminist Emma Goldman's words when she said, "Majority in a society cannot reason, it has no judgement as it has always placed its destiny in the hands of others; it has followed its leaders even to destruction."

The majority of ordinary Malaysians do not find it simple to understand the basics of Malaysian politicking. The majority care little for ideals and integrity. What it craves is oratorical display of power and probably a blank cheque of electoral promises.

The powers know that Malaysians are like children whose despair, sorrow and tears can be turned into joy with little toys in the form of the Budget 2008. Malaysians like to dream even if they dream alone and their notions remain a dream. The government is fearful only when Malaysians dream together, especially they make up a non-compromising intelligent minority.

Our political lunacy does not stop here. There is little sign of optimism at the moment among Malaysians for any hope of progress under the current regime. The rust in mass confidence is corroding whatever respectability there is in governance and management of national affairs.

Some would probably agree with John Lennon's sarcasm: "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives...I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."

If 'insanity' is defined as Albert Einstein puts it, "Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results", then it is time for many Malaysians to visit a madhouse.

Remember 2005?

Malaysians will continue to pay a heavy price for wasting funds year after year in a repeated political stage-show.

Reflecting on this state of affairs, a reader wrote to malaysiakini: "What is the fuss about, folks? This state of affairs has been going on for many, many years. There has been abuse and misuse of funds, exorbitant pricing, extravagant spending with no one being held responsible or punished. The auditor-general will, for the sake of public consumption, make some statements in his annual report. Subsequently, the Public Accounts Committee will wake up and call up a few departments for a chit-chat and everything is swept under the carpet."

When conceit, arrogance and egotism replace noble values and morals as essentials of patriotism in any society, it is easy to forget that the very essence of a free government must regard public office as a public trust, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party.

When patriotism is regarded purely as allegiance to the flag, rather than substance of honesty, commitment and sacrifices for the nation, there will be less-than-deserving attention to the most recent Auditor-General's Report.

Indignation and indignity among Malaysians is nothing more than a fireworks display. Public fuss and frustrations will always end in a quick death. Burning questions and answers do not last long and the ashes are forgotten for yet another year.

How many remember the 2005 Auditor-General's Report which revealed the sorry tale of four 'computerised' songket weaving machines costing RM90,000 each, but which were unused and ended up as 'exhibits' by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Agency. Auditors found that these were unused because they required 'manual intervention'.

The same report cited the case of RM110,000 to sponsor the Sungei Petani Puteri Umno's tuition centre programme. This pointed to a larger question: why should public funds be used to finance a project run by a political party?

Who still remembers other items of "questionable spending of goodwill money" which ran like a restaurant menu? Various state government and local authorities were as usual accused of financial mismanagement, irregularity and imprudent spending. The Kedah development office paid RM701,000 for various items to mark the visit of the premier and his deputy, and included filming equipment for private television station ntv7. Why?

Some RM4 billion from Petronas royalties also by-passed the Terengganu government and ended up in a federally administered Special Fund Financing Programme (established in December 2000) as goodwill money. Of additional interest is that more than RM750 million was handled at the direct discretion of the Prime Minister's Department.

National audit reports traced back to 2004 have narrated similar messages of violations of rules and regulations, and of over-spending or over-paying contractors who did not deliver under the Eighth Malaysia Plan - by a whopping RM4.11 billion.

Strict compliance

There has been no dearth of reminders that we should do better with our resources.

Former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, addressing Parliament in 1997, said: "Social development should be based on the principle of social justice and the need to overcome social ills resulting from the deterioration in family institution, weakening social institutions and declining morals. Corruption is like cancer that has to be eliminated. It is the scourge of the nation. It is like a smouldering fire ready to burst into flames at any moment.

Transparency International Malaysia's Newsletter Vol 7 No 1 in April 2006 had this: "Corruption plunders economies. It also distorts and stunts them. Corruption hijacks resources that could be spent on worthy causes such as poverty eradication, education, healthcare and protection of the environment," says the"It is estimated that the procurement of goods and services accounts for about 10-20 per cent of government expenditure. With such large sums of monies involved, there are opportunities and temptations for corruption."

A former political leader has said that "a fish starts to rot from the head". Unless there is strict conformity to procurement principles, policies and regulations, the country will continue to record the annual waste of billions of ringgit.

The solution to such political lunacy perhaps lies in the words of statesman Carl Schurz (1829-1906), the first German-born American to enter the US Senate.

On Oct 17, 1899, he famously declared: "I confidently trust the American people will prove themselvestoo wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism 'Our country, right or wrong!'.

"They will not fail to recognise that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of 'true' patriotism: 'Our country - when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right'."
STANLEY KOH works for a Malaysian think-tank.