At the risk of being terribly politically incorrect, I think MIC secretary-general S Sothinathan should have been suspended . After all, he is a member of cabinet, not just a member of the ruling party. If he were a backbencher, then such a penalty for breaking ranks would have been unworthy of a parliamentary democracy.

After all, if he was truly so outraged and really had grounds for believing the Malaysian Medical Council's decision over the Crimea State Medical University was racially motivated, then he should, as a honourable man and champion of his community, resign his cabinet post, demand the MIC take a stand, and leave the Barisan Nasional. Anything less would have been just posturing.

On the larger issue of the CMSU de-recognition, I think we should reprimand Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang for having called for political interference in the MMC decision. It's all this political interference that's at the heart of so many of our problems, including in the universities. We can't condemn political interference when we don't like it, and call for it, when it seems convenient to do so; when we think it might benefit us.

But it seems that all too many people are prepared to burn everything in their way when things do seem to go their way. Today, the MMC; tomorrow, the Chemists' Board, the Board of Engineers, and the Board of Pharmacists, etc?

It's right to demand the MMC give its criteria for why it recognised CMSU in the first place but then decided to withdraw it - but only for those registering after December this year. Those already registered will, apparently, be recognised when they graduate in one to five years time.

But we should refrain from politicising the MMC as and how we wish.

After all, there are 11 elected members (out of 30) from the medical profession and, in the past, we have had thoroughly honourable persons on the council. So, let's say we discount all the nominated members - the 15 from the five public universities with medical schools and the three from the public services - as somehow 'tainted'.

We still have those 11, some of whom must have concurred with decision. And if they didn't, then perhaps they should speak up.

It's possible the 11 elected members all colluded, are anti-Indian, or maybe went along for venal reasons fearing an increase in doctors might mean a decline in average earnings. If so, then shame on the whole medical profession for having elected such dishonourable persons to the council, the professional watchdog.

But, until there's evidence of that, they deserve the benefit of belief that they acted in good faith - which is not to say that they might not be wrong, or that they didn't act precipitously. Or even that the council is cowardly when it comes to Malaysian medical schools.

But it seems to me that what's definitely wrong is to simply get a political override of the MMC's decision just because we don't like it.

On CMSU's part, it seems quite clear it did target Malaysians. How many foreign medical schools have a webpage on admissions specifically addressed to Malaysians?