I am amused and at the same time disappointed by the on-going verbal controversy between the government and PAS on whether Malaysia is an Islamic state. So Malaysia is. So Malaysia is not. It could be splitting hairs. Is it a case of less Islamic, more Islamic, or Islamic, period?

As a non-Muslim, it does not matter to me. Whichever the case, I am sure Malaysians of various races and religions care more about what the government - whoever forms it, Islamic or secular - is doing to improve their lives.

This splitting of hairs and going by the commas and periods of qualifying Malaysia as an Islamic state does nobody any good if even basic expectations of a decent life are found wanting in villages, towns and cities.

The authorities say there is not enough money to repair a worn bridge that school children have to cross to go to school daily, and there is insufficient fund to repair a leaking roof in a rural school, or there is no budget to employ additional workers to clear clogged drains, etc.

But then we have been told of unbelievable expenses incurred by authorities on questionable activities - a lot of good it does for the government to claim the country is an Islamic state!

The time and money expended by the current government to explain and convince the non-Muslim Barisan Nasional partners and the public that Malaysia is an Islamic state and how it intends to run it fairly, with respect to non-Muslims, is more politically motivated than altruistic.

I wish all the grey matter of those responsible can be put to better use. How about a transparent, sincere and in-depth analysis of why the education system has come to the current situation that most parents of school-going children do not have many good things to say about it?

How come floods still occur in the Klang Valley every year during the wet season, when for the last five years or more the public has been told repeatedly that sums of money have been allocated to end the problem?

Why are we told that traffic jams in a particular stretch of road will be eliminated with the building of tolled highways, but at the end of the day there is no difference in the traffic flow but there is a negative difference to the motorists' pockets and a positive difference to the concessionaires of the privatised highways?

I also wish to disagree with Works Minister S Samy Vellu's statement that motorists who avoid the highway because they want to save from having to pay RM1 at the toll, deserve to suffer traffic jams.

The Phileo Damansara stretch of the Sprint highway was built with part of a road that was there long ago! The public paid for that particular stretch of the Sprint highway! The government should say 'thank you' to the very patient Malaysian public and should understand where the priorities lie.

As I said earlier, a lot of good it does for any country to declare whether it is an Islamic or secular state when its citizens cannot turn on the tap to get clean water consistently. I am sure many Malaysians can add to my "list of things found wanting" in the administration of the country.