Parliament is convened today Oct 13,2008, after a sort recess for the month of Ramadhan. It also marks the official admission of Anwar Ibrahim as an elected parliamentarian, after a absence of almost a decade, and to hear him speak as leader of the opposition for the very first time.

I was eagerly waiting to listen to the debate on the budget which was presented by the PM, Pak Lah who was then the Minister of Finance earlier before the month of Ramadhan. Unfortunately, the debate did not materialised, but rather it was 'hide and seek' game in search of the whereabouts of Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and other finance ministry officials. Their 'disappearance' from parliament on the very first sitting that was to debate the budget, is mind boggling.

I am now wondering whether these elected government parliamentarians are indeed serious to perform their obligations as the people's representative in parliament, or are they elected merely to seek positions in government, and once that is achieved, they play 'hide and seek' to the people that had voted them in.

The budget is an all important national issue to be debated, and it has become more important now in light of the troubling financial and economic crisis looming across the globe. Our country will not be spared of this looming crisis, but surprisingly, our leaders think otherwise. Read the recent statement made by our PM. who say that the country can weather the crisis because our