It is a question we all need to ask our leaders. Just where is Malaysia heading? What should the people aspire for? Just what should fellow Malaysians look up to or for?

During the reign of Tun Mahathir, we were given Vision 2020. To see Malaysia among the develop elite by the year 2020. Everything was geared towards achieving this vision. Strategic plans were made in areas of industry, information technology and nation economics. Malaysia was sold on the idea and we had the leader to take us to that goal. Yet after Tun Mahathir retired; there is little if not no mention of Vision 2020.

So where is Abdullah Badawi taking this nation?

In the early days of Abdullah Badawi's administration, there was a lot of excitement. Here was a man with the title of "Mr Clean" and he was going to clean up the administration. Corruption would be dealt with, abuse of power would be crushed, freedom of press, abolishment of ISA, the rule of Justice and the betterment of the quality of life in Malaysia. We enjoyed a robust and strong economy.

That was in 2004. In 2008, things are not as rosy as we thought it would be. Flip-flop decisions by the administration. Most time we see ministers announcing things only to have the Prime Minister reverse it and chief among the announcements was the fuel hike.

2008 and we are still treated to high drama. Chief among the dramas is the Altantuya Murder Trial, which has more twist than all the Korean soap operas put together. The question that begs an answer is the ability of the heir apparent to Abdullah Badawi, Najib Razak, to avoid having his day in court. Him and his wife are both entangled in a web spun by the murder of this Mongolian woman.

Another drama would be the recycled sodomy drama involving Anwar Ibrahim and Mohd. Saiful. It's pure Hollywood, that after a month of investigation, the police had yet to conclude their investigation and then a day after the Home Minister asks them to speed it up; they conclude the investigation and submit their report to the Attorney General's office. It takes a minister to prompt the investigation into high gear.

Now, Anwar Ibrahim is going to make a move to get himself into parliament and the government would surely make a move to create hurdles for him to achieve it. The government is running scared and succeeded in embarrassing themselves with their over-the-top arrest of Anwar Ibrahim for questioning concerning the sodomy charges and flapping attempt by the Information Minister at engaging Anwar Ibrahim in a live debate over the fuel hike.

So where is Malaysia heading while all this drama is going on?

In fact, I think we have gone backwards. Various projects have been introduced prior to the 12th General Elections and still have nothing to show for. The federal government has withdrawn various projects in Penang. Terengganu seems to be imploding, with the current administration seemingly carrying out a witch-hunt for the previous administration's faults. UMNO has been embarrassed by PAS after their so-called unity talks went flat like a dead fish.

Where are we heading?

We have lost sight of Vision 2020. What was clear has now been reduced to near-sightedness flip-flopping reactive decisions. The rakyat has been pushed into desperate mode with the sky-rocketing price of essentials. We are heading backwards and the government seems impervious to what is happening because they are too busy creating their dramas.