vox populi big thumbnail 'It is worth remembering that the PwC findings were known to the relevant authorities months, if not years, ago. Only the release of the report was delayed. So why set up these three committees now?'

Maniam Sankar: So now the PKA has set up three committees to review the findings of the PwC report on PKFZ.

It is worth remembering that the PwC findings were known to the relevant authorities months, if not years, ago. Only the release of the report was delayed.

So why set up these three committees now? Surely if there was a will, these investigations would have started years ago.

Even the Treasury should have started its internal probes years ago when billions were being siphoned under their stinky noses.

No, people of Malaysia, don't be fooled ; all these ‘actions' are to perpetuate the inaction thus far. Expect nothing to come out of this.

On By-election? DAP rep submits quit letter

PT Tan: Three cheers for DAP's Tan Beng Huat!

He submitted his quit letter over only a RM450 karaoke set. That is principle. That is right. That is complete transparency. That is responsibility.

Much more responsive than the more than RM4,500,000,000 (RM4.5 billion or more) of the Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal.

Yet everyone is trying to point the finger elsewhere over so many more zeros.

Proves one thing - there are more ‘zeroes' in BN that in Pakatan.

On Save Malaysians from political demagoguery

Kaisim: There are many Umno politicians who like to talk along racial lines when it comes to discussing national issues.

They have always painted a frightening situation to the Malays that the non-Malays are going to eat up everything in the country, leaving them poor and desperate.

They called the Chinese squatters and some even named them as communists. They threatened the non-Malays with another May 13. There is always this tendency for ‘divide and rule' by these selfish people.

What we have agreed in the Merdeka agreement way back on Aug 31,1957 is all in the constitution. If we play by the rules, no one will rob these rights from us.

Chin Peng`s case is a different issue. The government agreed to a peace accord with the communist leader. We have to forgive and forget the past regardless of the atrocities by either side.

Therefore, he should be allowed to come home and live as an ordinary person because he has renounced his communist status. Some of his former comrades were allowed to come home.

Why is the government putting so much conditions for this man? Worse still, others who speak up in his favour are now called communist sympathisers. Where is the logic?

This is a peace accord signed between Chin Peng and the government of Malaysia. The government must keep its part of the bargain. The world is watching us. Do we walk the talk?

On Nik Aziz holds private meet to reject unity gov't

Anonymous: The PAS president and his deputy should first learn to talk to their Pakatan Rakyat partners - DAP and PKR - before thinking about unity talks with Umno.

Or they should straight join Umno.

On Perak - commonsense says that Pakatan had lost

Adcin: Yes, commonsense would indicate that Pakatan has lost Perak but the war is not so much for the control of the state but for the hearts and minds of the voters.

As long as Pakatan continues to drag this issue to the courts and argues convincingly that Najibs' power grab is unconstitutional, they are winning the war no matter what some like the writer would like to believe.

There are many diehard supporters of Umno and the BN who see no evil because they believe that the Umno's fight is for a noble cause and the ends will always justify the means.

But there is also an increasing amount of independent voters who cannot fathom what the struggle of Umno is all about and would prefer to use logic and understanding to arrive at their conclusions.

And if you ask our present Umno leaders, ‘What have you done for us lately?', they would be hard-pressed to form a coherent response.

Partly because most of them are inarticulate 'salesmen' anyway, but mainly because the answer is not much to shout about.

The above letter sadly encapsulates Umno and the BN's only hope of clinging onto power, and that is for Pakatan to fail, and not because they are capable of much, much better.

On Give 'em hell, elevate the passing mark

Huang Siew Hock: Thousands might have sent messages; but they did not mention what the passing mark should be for English!

For the marking and grade schemes, the passing mark should be 40%.. And no lowering of marks to 30%, 20% etc so as to have a a certain quota of passes.

We must have a standard. Lowering is to ‘dilute' the marking scheme.

When I studied at the Anglo Chinese School in Sitiawan in the 1950s, the passing mark was 50%, no less. Had I obtained 49%, I failed.

No questions asked; and you had to be retained for one year in Form Four. At that time, there was no automatic promotion: we had to pass a certain number of core subjects; and pass English.

Now, everything is automatic. But a life career is no more automatic. If we want children to go for higher studies, we must make English compulsory; and the passing mark should be at least 40% .

On English - employ retirees for 'national service'

Victor Chew: It has been suggested that retired English teachers should be employed.

I think the ministry of education has been doing that but not many retired English teachers would want to go back to teach in schools where the students are not interested.

Maybe with it being compulsory to pass English to get an SPM cert, then there may be interest among the pupils and retired teachers may find this as an incentive to go back.

However, I find that the role such good retired English teachers should be utilised to train the existing teachers who are generally weak in grammar.

I think this will go a long way rather than to have the retired teachers teach students directly.

Those posted to rural schools should have good, retired English teachers teach them grammar and they in turn can then improve and teach their own students.

As pointed out often, it is not difficult to master English grammar but rather difficult to use English for daily purposes.

I notice that many foreign students - especially Chinese students - are very good in grammar but are completely useless in applied English.

They have a weak vocabulary or use words they have memorised from a dictionary wrongly and have no idea at all of figure of speech!

Thus we need only give our rural English teachers a refresher course in English grammar taught by experts and then hope they would improve by reading widely and practise using English.

If there is a will, I am sure the current batch of English teachers should be able to do a good job given the proper guidance.

On PKR MP Zul Noordin mocks SIS

Maniam Sankar: How is it PKR can find fault with PAS when it criticises SIS but is seemingly powerless to control its chauvinistic Kulim MP who is clearly more belligerent and intolerant?

To MP Zul, I say it is not SIS that should be named IWK but you who should be bestowed the well known title of MCP(ig).

Pakatan must waste no time in sacking this festering wound on their side called Zul Nordin and challenge him in a court of the people through a by election.

A principle on acceptable behavior must be established. And it is best to establish it in the heartlands like Kulim.

On Here we go... the haze is back

Retired Meteorologist Cum Oceanographer: A mainstream newspaper has headlined: ‘Temperatures may go up by 3 degrees Celcius with El Nino Phenomena'.

In addition the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas said the Meteorological Department has reported the El Nino phenomenon.

I have received the latest La Nina/El Nino advisory issued by the Climate Prediction Centre in the US.

Such advisory is referred to by all national weather centres for each national monitoring/follow- up actions/briefing for ministers etc.

Indeed, the centre has advised all recipients (including many national weather centres) that we are expecting the El Nino phase (dry).

On regular basis, there has always been change of the 'dry' phase (El Nino) to the 'wet 'phase (La Nina).

However, in contrast to the El Nino in 1998 or (the most severe was in1982-83), I interpret impending El Nino as mild and it will not raise the temperature by 3 degrees Celcius as highlighted in the press.

On Leaving Malaysia is not as simple as ABC

Meng Yee: Anyone who has walked passed Boat Quay and Clark Quay in Singapore would be impressed by the way the whole infrastructure is set up.

The nightlife is bustling and there are plenty for tourists and locals to do. A walk by their riverside is most pleasant and one cannot help but ask why cannot we find this in Malaysia?

I mean an internationally acceptable standard like what the Singaporeans have. I can offer a few answers which some may or may not agree.

For one, the illicit relationship between business persons and politicians has gone on for far too long. Many favours are done for each another which often finds the rakyat at the losing end.

Secondly, zealous politicians who make decisions on a project often times have vested interests are do not necessarily make the best decisions.

Also, professionals are overruled by these politicians. Thirdly, is the destructive culture of ‘close one eye'.

A mediocre mindset fails to bring something to completion which is of international standard.

These three points can be illustrated further.

But if we do not rid Malaysia of thee three ills, we shall forever be a mediocre country.