Bernama apologised. Its editor in chief, Yong Soo Heong sent a note to Lim which read: I would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for the sloppy editing in the news story of March 12, 2008, which we mistakenly quoted you as commenting on the May 13 incident as well. The inclusion of the fact was intended to give background on the establishment of the NEP in 1971. Nevertheless, upon a thorough review, the inclusion of that fact along with your quote may have been inappropriate.

Well done, Yong, but the damage has been done and efforts were taken to put things right. Some newspapers are continuing to harp on the issue despite being aware that Lim never uttered those remarks. Some cannot come to terms to having to serve different political masters.

Most of the problems arise because one word – communication – or the lack of it. I told the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo on Feb 6 that his press officer, a former journalist, was responsible for the state being unable to get across its messages to the masses. I did not mince my words and never spoke behind his back – the officer was seated next to me when I told the bitter truth. I listed the litany of his shortcomings and showed Mohd Khir, who will now sit on the opposition benches, the several SMSes exchanged between us.

But even politicians cannot be forgiven for the lapses of their officers. Take Khir for example. He accused me of being a "racist". When I retorted that my column does not touch on race, religion or politics, his so-called substantiation nearly caused me to fall off my chair.

"You don’t write about temples on state land. You don’t write about scrap metal dealers occupying road reserve," he said in apparent reference to Hindu temples and scarp metal dealers in Selangor who are predominantly Indian. "But one Umno container on a playing field you write ... We build hawkers stalls on road reserve, you write ..."

Firstly, I told him I was unaware of such things, but he retorted: "Tak akan you tak tahu!" Am I supposed to know everything that’s going on in the state, especially with the habit of public officials classifying routine matters as Rahsia or Sulit?

And I told myself that it would be an exercise in futility to argue with someone with that kind of thinking and that level of understanding of the media and the English language.

I have often said in this column, at public seminars and lectures to journalism students that I would not touch on any issue that would give rise to racial tension and I have a good reason for it. I went through the horrors of 1969 and I lost two former classmates who had gone to Kuala Lumpur for their Form Six classes. (In those days, no school in Klang offered classes in the Higher School Certificate and those who qualified were sent to Victoria Institution or the Methodist Boys School.)

I have kept my word and will continue doing so. All of us want a better quality of life for ourselves and our children. We can do it without bringing race or religion into our arguments and in our quest for a government or leaders with integrity. We can have healthy debates and discussions without throwing the race or religious card. That should be our aim and politicians from both sides, aided and abetted by an equally independent media, can bring about this. We don’t need those with vested interests trying to play their own game for monetary gains.

R. Nadeswaran is deputy editor (special reporting) at theSun. He can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com