Recently, the issue of ethnicity and the national language stirred a hornet's nest here in this forum. There have also been many dissatisfied voices over the 9th Malaysia Plan or more accurately, fears that it cannot be implemented judiciously. The dilemma surrounding the setting up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) has also rattled very many.

I think all these issues are related to the present government's efforts to bring about a paradigm shift in a Malaysian society so used to the status quo of ethnic division, corruption and ever lowering standards in all realms of public life.

SK Wong hit the nail on the head when he/she pointed out that the national language is not a panacea for disunity in the country. People do not associate because we live side by side in watertight isolation. How are we expected to use the national language effectively if our lives do not intersect? As such, ethnic stereotypes flourish.

The Malaysian government's decision to broaden our mindsets through the encouragement of ICT and its main communicative tool - the English language - has sparked fear among certain Malaysians. Saad Hashim's letter reflects this concern but it would be good if Saad and his like- minded compatriots be less intellectually-lazy.

The government has decided to take the harder course in encouraging the usage of English whilst promoting traditional art forms under the larger rubric of heritage conservation. The government realises that if more people were to speak in the national language, it cannot be through an imposition of laws. We actually have to be friendlier to each other and make it, as Wong has said, part of our daily consciousness.

At the root, great dissatisfaction is in the implementation. Many Malaysians of all races have voiced the need for checks and balances. The need for the IPCMC is part of the mechanism needed for the better implementation of government policies. If the public had recourse to proper law enforcement, corruption would become less a natural pastime. Some form of transparent and merit-based allocation system of public funds is also necessary if the 9MP is to be effective in achieving Vision 2020.

Now, people like Wong and Dr Jacob George have made it very clear that to achieve national unity we have to think nationally. This means thinking outside our ethnic straight-jackets. The case of policewomen wearing the 'tudung' for uniformity is a good illustration of a misguided policy.

What was more galling was some of our politicians not realising that a policewoman is not merely a Muslim or a Buddhist or a Christian. She is a public personality whose existence is based on public funds hence how she presents herself should be based on public needs. We really have to see the larger picture lest we miss the woods for the trees.