Three cheers for the rule of law in Malaysia. What a contrast, the power of thugs on one side and power of the law on the other. The courts have stood up, although as happened before this may merely be due to negligence in not buying off, intimidating or silencing the judges before a ruling. But at least the courts had a chance to regain its credibility and integrity. The royals had two chances - both the father and the son - and flopped both times for want of courage and sense of righteousness. Now there will be a third chance.

The PKR surely has been through a test of political unity and so far it has stood firm and not splintered in the midst of pressure. They have been playing a weak hand and gained strength but one wonders when the moment comes, will they know when they can go for the jugular? Dato' Anwar's record on that is at best mixed. And when they do so, are they ready for power? My view is that they are closer to power than being able to deliver effective change with their power. The big challenge is not simply to gain power. That is the easy part. To be sustainable and effective, PKR has to turn its win into a convincing mandate for an alternative vision for Malaysia, attract a new cadre of leadership in the government/public sector and bridge its own religious/secular divide.

The BN is facing only bad choices to choose from. Out of energy, out of ideas and soon possibly it will fail to inspire even the fear, greed or complacency that has kept it in power in the past decade. It credibility is in terminal decline and so is its electability.

The tipping point will only be apparent in hindsight, but I suspect the power grab in Perak rank high as a possibility. Certainly BN will not survive a major loss in the elections if and when the Perak State Assembly is desolved. At this rate, it will soon be an East Malaysian coalition (but don't forget, Dato' Anwar was the one who finally won back Sabah for BN through elections). Even the rats would desert a sinking ship, so come the tipping point the end might come quicker than anyone imagined.

UNMO especially still have the option to go out really ugly - Najib is after all his father's son. The end of the Suharto era came to mind. BN and its money still controls the security apparatus: those thuggish special branch goons in batik shirts, dark suits and songkoks. When I ushered about 11 heads of states during the APEC Summit in Bangkok in 2003, I was actually taken aback by - among all the security personnel milling about - how ugly and nasty looking the ones around Dr M were. They are still more than capable of stirring up racial troubles, manipulate the judges, clamp down on civil society, lock up opponents under ISA and did I mention stirring up racial trouble? If they do so, and I believe BN is desperate or dumb enough to try, that will be a true test for Malaysia. I have faith that the Malaysian people will stand up for the kind of Malaysia they want and to cast-away the politics of fear and division. They will lift the curtains and let the light in to dispel the ghosts of the events - 40 years ago today - May 13, 1969 - so that they no longer hold a fearful spell over Malaysians. A better Malaysia will emerge from this 40 year old shadow that has stunted the growth of Malaysian society and race relations for too long.

Yes, my hope is that BN do not go out with a whimper but instead with a test of nationhood, a watershed moment that wakes Malaysians up from its slumber, resignation, cynicism to actually want something .....and to make a clear peaceful choice for a new and better Malaysia.