Happy New Year And so, 2006 has passed into history and a new year beckons all of us. There is talk about making 2007 an extraordinary year, being that the nation is set to celebrate 50 years of Independence. All this is well and good and most Malaysians will hope and pray that the new year is indeed a good year for all. In 2006, the country has taken quite a bit of battering in the area of race relations, poor governance and often punctuated by a-not-so-sterling leadership required for a country as complex as ours. While there is talk that the economy may show some signs of a resurgence, which inevitably will raise speculation of an early election, questions will still be asked about the nation's political will to forge ahead with new policies untainted by race preferences, in order to prepare Malaysia for the future. I don't, sadly, think that race-baiting tactics are a thing of the past, despite all this wonderful talk by politicans of a new era for Malaysia. I do hope that I am proven wrong. Well, here's to a new year. Hope springs eternal, does it not?  ¶ 8:41 AM