It is very unfortunate that there are still many in Malaysia who think that our nation is doing good enough, including Ahmad Syafiq ([#1] Dr M's still the best [/#], Jan 31) and even my parents who are solid opposition supporters.

Yes, we are doing better than the Philippines, Indonesia, Mozambique and more, but why should we ever compare ourselves to them if we want to achieve our Wawasan 2020?

Look around us and you'll see what I mean. Where are the desperately needed flyovers for Malacca's Jalan Tun Abdul Razak? A first- or second-world nation would build expressways and flyovers before a traffic jam builds up around the area.

Our government does not plan ahead; it only knows how to patch up already worsened problems.

Another good example is the much delayed LRT network in KL. The bad traffic situation in the 1980s already warranted the LRT, but we only got it in 1996.

After more than a decade, where is our first true "national car"? I would be proud if I could see a Malaysian-designed engine in the Waja , even though it may be less powerful and more fuel-thirsty than the Mitsubishi or Renault engine.

A first-world nation has sufficient domestic market to support the local manufacturers. But our nation relies heavily on foreign exports. What happens if the Japanese and Americans don't want to buy our stuff? Americans won't die if the Japanese were to boycott their Nike sneakers, and the Japanese won't die should the Americans not buy their Playstations either. But imagine what would become of our economy if no one wants to buy our manufactured products?

Then again, forget about the US and Japan. Just compare ourselves with South Korea and Singapore. None of them has any significant natural resource. But what do we have? Our natural gas production ranks about 10th in the world, and petroleum production ranks about 20th. Yes, it's not enough to make us an Opec member, but it's certainly enough to improve at least the living standard of some states, if the government knows how to use the money. Has the life of Terengganu and Sarawak residents improved significantly (compared with those of other states) because of the oil wealth? Has the life of Sabah residents gotten better because of the massive copper deposits there?

Some of Malaysians may laugh at what happened to the US presidential election in Florida. But who should be laughed at, us or the Americans? When some irregularities such as phantom voters or missing ballot boxes happened during our elections, no action or investigation would be taken. But in the US, irregularities reported by citizens will be seriously looked into and, if neccesary, dealt with in court.

Some Malaysians always criticise the US on its unequal treatment to the various races. Yet Americans don't specify that important positions like the Secretary of State or National Security Adviser should be held by persons of the majority ethnic group.

Finally, I think our nation deserves a GDP per capita of more than a few thousands of ringgit. If our government is doing good enough, we should be expecting a five-figure GDP per capita.