Groups that lodge frivolous police reports against writers are wasting police time and creating disunity in the community.

In defence of the freedom of expression and Helen Ang who was unfairly pilloried by Perkasa, anyone who has read her CPI article will agree she was merely writing on the unfair practice and manner of the conversions, not attacking Islam. What's so wrong with her stating a matter of fact?

Not long ago another group took the CPI website to task and maliciously branded it ‘communist’. It was an unfair blow below the belt and unbecoming of those who make their living from writing themselves.

Dr TG Lim, initiator of the CPI website, is a gentleman, who lets his economic analyses speak for him. How anyone can be upset by intelligent articles is baffling unless you live in a dictatorship. Since Malaysia isn’t one, despite some very dictatorial people, we should encourage responsible dissent.

It seems to me some people live on the edge of aggression and wait for some minor incident to

vent their anger and flex their muscles. Does religion teach them to bully others and make intimidations every time they feel like it, without making any effort to understand the problem and plight of the aggrieved?

Writers like Ang opine on a range of topics. She is among the country's writing talents in the use of language, both in Bahasa Malaysia and English, and doing arduous research, and no one expects her to always write the things that please us.

In the same edition of Malaysiakini , in the ‘Comments’ column, Helen has upset those who think she is anti-Christian, when she postulates for them to stop using the word 'Allah.'So is she altogether anti-Islam, anti-Christian, anti-religion?

I don’t think so. Sometimes writers have to play 'devil's advocate' if only to make people consider the other side of the argument and give a topic the coverage from all angles it deserves.

It is easy for people to make false allegations. We saw it happen with the former Perak mufti who created a pandemonium with an angry mob outside a Catholic church over false claims of Malays converting to Christianity.It was a seriously un-Islamic thing to do – to spread false rumour and make false accusations.

Fair comment is the indisputable right of every citizen in a democratic country. No one should fear criticism who is confident of his or her own ideas and actions. If someone attacks my beliefs I become a better person by listening and considering what they say. Then I learn to be immune to words, no matter how untrue and cruel. I learn to understand the fallacy of their arguments and gently guide them to understand my convictions and the

reasons why.

But any fool is quick to quarrel. Many years ago my Muslim neighbour used to invite me over to his house to share his knowledge of Islam, knowing full well that I am a Christian. ‘Never mind, we can share ideas, kah ?’ he said and we were good neighbours for many years until we moved on.

Then there was a couple of turbaned Muslims from a nearby mosque doing door-to-door visits who invited me to listen to a visiting preacher, at their mosque. I told him I was a Christian and asked if I may be allowed to share my beliefs. ‘No problem,’ he said, with a grin, and we shook hands and treated each other with warmth and mutual respect.

People who believe in God should never pick on one another. My advice to Perkasa is not to destroy the good relations Malaysians enjoy with one another. We will never agree on religion or politics till the end of time but we need to agree that we need to live with one another in peace and harmony, even with those who are different from us.

Get used to the idea that non-Malays are as Malaysian as the Malays and belong to the land as much as they and those who think they have more claim to the country are as deluded as the man who shot John Lennon because he thought he heard God tell him to do it.

Malaysia did not reach where it is today because of racial or religious bigotry. But for the graciousness of the Chinese and Indians and others who bent backwards to allow the government’s policies to help the Malays there would have been more strife. You achieve nothing by divisiveness when common sense dictates that Malaysians regardless of their race or religion depend on one another to make something of their country and the symbiotic relationship among the races is crucial to attaining success.

Those who exploit race and religion to elevate themselves are a liability to the nation and are

out of touch with the strides the country has achieved through mutual respect. Having a tolerant attitude and forebearing spirit is a virtue and one indispensable in a multifarious

society. The government does well to encourage it and discourage any show of bigotry.

It is people's right to defend and promote their group but they must abide by the rules of engagement that we expect in a civilised and progressive society, upholding the standards of fair play and fair comment, and not adopt any approach that a tolerant society considers antagonistic.

If God had wanted us to be robots he would not have given us brains, so please give intelligence a chance.