I refer to the letter by QG Rozario, Tired of Mkini's anti-Mahathir rhetoric.

It is indeed beyond me that Rozario has found Malaysiakini.com more oppressive than Mahathir's Malaysia, without actually substantiating his claims with any concrete evidence of intolerance of views o­n the part of malaysiakini's editorial team.

In fact, it is rather rich of Rozario to make such claims when his letter, highly critical and sarcastic of the role played by malaysiakini within the tightly controlled milieu of the Malaysian press industry, was published in the very o­nline newspaper that he himself so despises. Perhaps malaysiakini's editorial team should clarify if the content of Rozario's letter had been doctored or edited before we the readers got to read it, which is often the case with our so-called mainstream national dailies.

Rozario has also made clear his chagrin that malaysiakini "...continues to and has for a long time reflected mainly an anti-Mahathir stance..." Being someone who possesses 'the looney chauvinistic elements of Malaysian society' as claimed by Rozario, I nevertheless respect the right of his to express his own views that are contrary to my political persuasions. However, I would

like to take this opportunity to inform Rozario that there exists a substantial group of Malaysians who have grown despondently tired of the pro-Mahathir rhetoric in our national newspapers.

A foreign friend of mine o­nce remarked to me, "I notice that your newspapers often begin their headlines with 'PM urges' or 'Rakyat told', and the editorials are full of praises for the 'visions' or 'bold steps' of the PM. May I ask you: Do Malaysians think? Or your people truly look up to him as a guiding light?"

I will never forget how embarrassed I was by his questions. It was (and still is) a home truth that I can never explain away.

Rozario can hardly contain his indignation that malaysiakini has been publishing articles considered favourable to the newspaper itself.

Well, I too wonder why we have never seen any piece of writing or letter to the editor that critically and objectively analyses any of the government's policies in the newspapers. Articles that pinpoint the contradictions or fallacies in the PM's speeches are conspicuously absent from Malaysia's newspapers of all languages, unless we regard publications like Aliran Monthly, Harakah, Rocket, Seruan Keadilan and Suara PRM as operating o­n a level-playing field alongside Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, New Straits Times, The Star, Sin Chew Daily and Nanyang Siang Pau.

In closing, I must admit that I am a close friend to quite a number malaysiakini's members of staff. What is more, I am proud to be associated with them. They are a bunch of people who are willing to receive meagre pay cheques for the hard work that they do, motivated mainly by their belief in a better, fairer and freer Malaysia.

Of course, malaysiakini may lose its significance as an alternative news provider o­nce the country lifted all the restrictions o­n a free press and allowed all media players to air opinions independent of the official line. Until and unless this scenario comes to pass, there is every reason for Malaysiakini.com to continue its service to 'self-righteous' Malaysians like me.