Kuala Lampur, April 30 -- Life is imperfect. Democracy is an earnest attempt to enable the rule of the people.

It's rife with imperfections, like my relationship with Sugu, my Seremban cousin through marriage who knocked out a tooth off me, after I did the same months earlier.

We would have been between eight and nine years old.

Sugu died some time back but Negeri Sembilan democracy may resuscitate if actors act in good faith.

Actors dictate democracy's efficacy.

Why? In a universal direct participatory democracy, all decisions require all to vote on and removes the principal-agent problem inherent in representation.

For instance, if all Negeri Sembilan adults are asked to vote today on whether Aminuddin Harun should continue as men...