The Handcuffed Chen Shui-bian

I certainly deplore the extremely violent acts of the protesters against Chen Yunlin, Chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Straits (ARATS). Chen's official visit to Taiwan was Beijing's highest-level visit to its political rival in 60 years. The protest-turned-commotion brutality exposed the ugly side of the society.

In Malaysia, all the street protests so far have been orderly. Malaysians are a lot more peace-loving and restrained in this respect!

I applaud the admirable maturity in democracy in Taiwan when the IPP (immediate-past president) Chen Shui-bian was handcuffed by prosecutors Tuesday for being involved in overseas money laundering and graft. He was later ordered by court to be remanded .

Yesterday was such a disgraceful day for the ex-president.

Malaysia is much less mature than Taiwan in democracy. Four years ago, Pak Lah vowed to take the big jaws to task. With Pak Lah about to call it a day, the rakyat are still wide-eyed with dismay about the whereabout of the so-called big jaws.

We are falling several steps behind Taiwan.