Even though Rafidah did not state how high Abdullah scored, it is clear that such praise is part of the sycophantic culture within UMNO of using false flattery to win favous from leaders. Based on dispassionate reason and an objective evaluation of Abdullah’s performance of the 12 pillars of good governance, it is clear that Abdullah has only made progress on 5 pillars or a passing mark of 42%(Schools now use 40% as a passing mark unlike 50% 25 years ago)

Pak Lah's 12 pillars of good governance are:-

1. Effective leadership is respected leadership.
2. Democracy flourishes through collective responsibility.
3. Development of human capital via quality holistic education programmes.
4. Ensure economic growth by exploring new sources while focusing on rural development and modernization of agriculture.
5. Develop a bumiputera commercial and industrial community, and a bumiputera science and technology community.
6. Acknowledging the role of the private sector to generate economic growth, particularly in creating new economic opportunities.
7. To enhance public sector performance, in particular, improving public delivery systems, and facilitate the role of the private sector.
8. Addressing corruption by emphasizing on both preventive and punitive approaches.
9. Enforcing the rule of law in a firm and transparent manner, particularly in the fight against crime.
10. Encouraging a more equitable and active participation of youth and the emancipation of women.
11. Defending Malaysia's sovereignity.
12. Strengthening national unity.

Of the 12 pillars, Abdullah can only claim progress in 5 pillars namely, rural development and agriculture(No. 4), bumiputera development(No. 5), acknowledging the role of private sector(No. 6), youth and women(No. 10), and defending Malaysia’s sovereignty(No. 11). As for the remaining 7 pillars, either no progress has been made or Malaysia has backslided in becoming worse off.

How can there be effective leadership when his predecessor who appointed him has declared open war against Abdullah barely 2 years after Abdullah took over as Prime Minister? Where are the improvements in democracy when oppressive laws such as as Printing Presses & Publications Act(PPPA), Sedition Act(SA), Internal Security Act(ISA) and Official Secrets Act(OSA) are still retained and applied indiscriminately and arbitrarily.

Corruption is now worse off than when Tun Dr Mahathir retired in 2003, Malaysia was ranked No. 37 under the Transparency International’s(TI) Corruption Perception Index.but now is ranked No. 44. Human capital development still takes a back seat to racial quotas and anti-competitive policies.

Public sector performance, especially in delivery system is poor with the litany of abuses of powers, non-performance or delays in implementation of development projects by civil servants resulting in higher costs or abandoned projects. Even enforcing the rule of law and fighting crime is a failure when for the first 9 months of this year the national crime index increased by 12.6% to 170,481 crimes reported as compared to 151,444 crimes reported for the same period last year.

Finally, national unity is under severe strains with higher intolerance on race and religion as exemplified by extremist threats of UMNO delegates in this general assembly such as:-

• another repeat of May 13 worse than the racial riots in 1969 that would leave Kuala Lumpur completely devastated and ruined battlefield.
• Umno is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion from non-Muslims or non-Malays.

If Abdullah wishes to obtain a high score, he must stop listening to lies or false flattery. Abdullah must review the mistakes he made during his last 3 years and fulfill his promise to listen to those who speak the truth and return back to the principle of justice as the core in his administration.