I was sad to hear about DAP quitting the Barisan Alternatif, but I sincerely hope that it will continue to work with BA parties to put as much pressure as possible on the BN government. I am worried as a Malaysian about how another five years of governance by BN after the 2004 elections will affect the already declining values of justice and democracy in this country.

A weak opposition should not only be seen as detrimental to politics but also as a hindrance to the development of Malaysia.

We cannot afford the loss of democracy and critical thinking in our universities and media.

We cannot afford billion-ringgit bailouts with public money due to mismanagement and bad government policies.

The voices of criticism must always be heard, whether one agrees with them or not, so that we can make an informed decision and that government policies always represent what is best for the people and not by the ruling elite that is the 'cabinet'.

As a Malaysian, I wish for change in Malaysia for the better and not for us to remain stagnant and continue using draconian laws as well as passing new ones that stifle democracy and the individual rights of Malaysians.

I do not want to be a citizen of a country that blacklists citizens at a whim based on unproven and unrevealed accusations of being a "threat to national security", where my children will be discriminated on a racial basis and where an economist could be labelled a threat to national security for publishing papers that are not supportive of government policies.

With those fears and more, I wish that DAP, BA and BN members of parliament will always think, act and vote for the people they represent and work together to make sure that the mistakes of the past 10 years are not be repeated, for the sake of all Malaysians.