While Dr Mahathi Mohamad has said much in 'confronting' the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration and the responses read almost like a who's who of those in power, it is regrettable that the entire debate lacks perspective.

This is most unfortunate because anyone familiar with the country's political economy since colonial days must surely see the implications as being structurally very serious indeed.

Unless and until there is a realistic attempt to come to grips with the substantive issues involved in what Mahathir is saying, and these are dealt with in a concerted way, we may be heading for a situation of political instability.