I refer to the Malaysiakini article Where are the principled politicians and activists?

As I have explained umpteen times since 3 March 2008, my criticism of Anwar Ibrahim at the Star forum on that day was prompted by a question from the floor. Whatever subsequent comments I made were at the behest of the media. Though I stand by every word I uttered about Anwar, my criticism of him was neither pre-planned nor "perfectly timed."

It is totally absurd of Kua to suggest that my article ' Undesirable Short Cut on the Road to Power ' was an attempt to influence the outcome of the Permatang Pauh by-election when its main thrust was to show why people were disillusioned with both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat and why engineering crossovers in a Parliament in which the ruling coalition commands a 58 seat majority is undemocratic and unethical.

In fact, I had suggested in my article that if Anwar wins the by-election he should try to forge a cohesive opposition and form a shadow cabinet.

As a student of society, Kua should know that there is neither "embarrassment" nor "humiliation" in telling the truth about an individual or a situation however unpopular it may be. There are times when a huge segment of society, for whatever reason, may choose to ignore the warnings of a person however well-intentioned they may be.

It does not mean that the person is wrong. Ezam Mohd Noor, Zainur Zakaria and I who were once at the helm of Parti Keadilan Rakyat know a lot about Anwar and his politics. We are confident that the truth will triumph one day.

It is disingenuous of Kua to portray me as a BN "apologist". Even in the article he refers to, I had in a number of paragraphs upbraided the BN for its failure to address certain fundamental problems facing Malaysian society and its reluctance to embrace much needed reforms.

At the Star forum on March 3 the focus of my presentation was on how ethnic relations had deteriorated under the BN. Since leaving party politics at the end of 2001, I have from time to time criticised various aspects of BN policies while commending the coalition for some its positive moves.

Of course, since 1992 (excepting my brief sojourn in politics from 1999 to 2001) Malaysian politics, whether it is related to the government or the opposition, has been at the lower end of my radar screen. It is the global scenario that is at the centre - an emphasis for which I offer no apology.

While Kua and I, it is obvious, do not see eye to eye on a whole gamut of issues, we appear to agree on the importance of politics with principles. Crossover politics undermines politics of principles. There is no guarantee that once the crossovers are accomplished, the new government will be able to concentrate on the people’s well-being.

The deposed, supported by powerful vested interests built over decades, will certainly hit back. The resulting tussle for power could lead to continuous political instability and even chaos. At a time when the economic woes facing Malaysia and other countries are getting worse, political instability can only increase the people’s suffering.

The writer is a political scientist and professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia.