I am a Muslim Malay academic. My reading of the way of the Prophet's Muhammad's life is that he would in all honesty not have encouraged Zunar to present the cartoon in that manner.

However, as a person who understands the elements of cartoons as a communication tool and as a person well educated enough to understand a political message, I can read the anger of Malays to Dr Mahathir concerning the issue of the religious school.

As a Muslim, I care not what the Chinese wishes to eat, that is their concern. I never want to get involved in any discussion concerning whether eating pork is healthy or not. To me it is a simple matter of faith and in what I have read so far in some scientific circles is enough of a conviction to me to be strong in my faith.

The issue here is not about Chinese and pork eating. The issue here is the anger of Malays over this man named Mahathir over the way he treats Anwar, the judiciary, the rakyat and ultimately the way we educate our children.

The PM has governed this country in a most kurang ajar ('rude') manner. Perhaps it may not be an Islamic thing for me to do but I fully support the cartoon and commend Zunar for his honest attempt at portraying the Malay anger.

If there are some Chinese out there who feel that this cartoon was meant for them, I think one should look at it as a political message and not as a racial message .

I say it again in no apologetic terms: The cartoon is a political message expressing severe disgust on the side of the Malays concerning the kurang ajar way that the prime minister has shown Muslims in this country. PAS Sik MP Sik Shahnon Ahmad wrote 'SHIT'. This I think sums up the message of that book in an even stronger term.

With regards to the reference of pigs as the cause of the Sars virus, I have heard this mentioned by many people including Chinese. I have never researched this issue but since it is common knowledge (whether scientifically true or not), it was enough for Zunar to use Sars in the form of a pig.

The cartoon historically presents the state of anger of the Malays as well as the understanding (or lack of understanding) concerning science among the public at large. This is not a battle between Malays and Chinese. This is a battle between the Malays against one Mahathir Mohamad. No apologies necessary. Bravo Zunar!