Recent events in the last few weeks show that our beloved nation is still way off to achieving a first-class mentality, an ideal which is dear to the PM. Ironically, PM was the first to kick off the train of events.

On Chinese New Year, he predicted that our KLCI would "soon" breach the 1,350 point level. Being prime minister and finance minister, he certainly was aware of consequences of such a statement. Gullible punters would take his words for real and would thus have betted heavily hoping to make a kill. It was not to be. Instead, many lost a big sum in that short period of time.

Then when the share prices fell, he even went on to tell the public 'to be confident' in our own stock exchange and ignore the tumble in overseas market. This further showed that he is very ignorant of the elements of economics even though he is the minister of finance.

In this era of globalisation, the economies of the world are interdependent. Any collapse of economy of a country will definitely affect the others. I wonder how Pak Lah dared to venture to vocalise his type of comments. Even the president of the United States does not give such advice.

Then we have Works Minister S Samy Vellu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz coming out with remarks befitting that of loafers in the streets. Samy Vellu said those who threatened to file a police report against him over alleged discrepancies in the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) project to 'go to hell' while Nazri branded as 'stupid' those NGOs calling for an independent investigation into the ACA chief over corruption allegations.

Such uncalled and crude remarks are expected from fishmongers or 'pasar malam' hawkers (incidentally they are more refined nowadays) so for them to come out from the very mouths of supposedly 'respected' ministers made me sick to the core. They are suppose to lead the nation and show a good examples of themselves.

I have not read of ministers in other countries uttering such remarks. I am really ashamed of such behaviour by our ministers. If one were to see press conferences conducted by the likes of First World leaders, mutual respect between the journalists and ministers is observed. They conduct the conference in a very respected and civil manner.

But it is very different here. The ministers would, more often than not, talk down to the journalists. If the going gets tough, the ministers would be like a bull in a china shop and come out with remarks as exemplified by Samy Vellu and Nazri. They are typical of Third World ministers with a Third World mentality.