Despite the response of malaysiakini letter writers, Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad still does not get

what readers are saying. So please allow me to point out the obvious.

1) If given a choice, non-Muslims would like to vote both Umno and PAS out. We do not mind Malay/Muslim leaders leading the nation, as long as we are casting our votes based on merit and not based on which party presents the least threat to us.

2) Non-Muslims are not asking or attempt to remove the Islamic identity of Muslim Malaysians. Nor are we interested in preventing Malaysia from reflecting its Muslim majority influences. However, it is entirely different when it comes to declaring Malaysia an Islamic state.

When the declaration (that Malaysia is an Islamic state) was made, the immediate concern of non-Muslims was what the government would do to step up efforts to maintain the Malay-Muslim majority status quo.

This would eventually translate to systematic subjugation of other religions. This is an act against democracy.

Unfortunately this was the Malaysian experience even before Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration. Our question is: when and how can unequal practices be eradicated?

However, having said that, a couple of Muslim readers' responses in malaysiakini gives me hope that Malaysia still has the potential to change for the better.

I do hope that, eventually, Malaysia will be governed by ideology-based multi-racial and multi-religious parties.