One reason that we Malays do not strive hard enough to be high achievers is because we have been used to getting things the easy way. This has made us spoiled in our own society. We are growing to be reliant on handicap scores given to us by others. Dr Mahathir Mohamad talked about Malays being over dependent on crutches and lacking motivation to release them.

History abounds with examples of how those who are over dependent on their birthrights end up not being able to fend for themselves. They fail to develop their full potential. They fail to carve their own meaningful niche. They live the life of the queen ant, an anachronism in the modern world, an insult in the human world.

It is this cocoon of comfort that will make Malays perpetually weak. In the end, the Malays will perish like the maharajas of India. Prolonged overuse of special rights not only does injustice to others but will also turn a bounty into a curse.

Deprivation of these rights will create an environment where one would have no choice but to develop strength and resilience. Hard-earned strength, talent and money will last as one would appreciate their true virtues and learn how to be frugal.

Just read the story of Moses and the pharaoh either in the Koran or the Bible. Reflect on the virtues of the Prophet Muhammad as an orphan in his early childhood. Read the story of the Gautama Buddha and Arjuna abandoning the luxury of their palace lives. Consider the emergence of modern Japan, a country impoverished of natural resources now a powerhouse in the world economy.

Malaysia, as a pluralist society, cannot justify this legacy of indulgence and social differentiation any longer. It will not help us to develop a truly Malaysian society for our children. Let them own, love and defend Malaysia on an equal footing.

My only appeal is that, if that is the direction we all would like to move, then let us also be less sensitive about our culture. Let us nurture the growth of a true Malaysian culture that we will all appreciate.

After all, culture is how we conduct and interact among ourselves as individuals and as members of the Malaysian society. This will help us create our own values, symbols, heroes and heroines as we togther share our identity and visions of a future together.

For me, having seen and travelled the world over, Malaysia is still my one and only place in the sun. Each time I am overseas, I crave for roti canai, nasi lemak, char quay tiew, kari kepala ikan and penang asam laksa .

I miss not only the cries of my granddaughter but also the voices of Indian and Chinese Malaysian talking pasar Malay as the debate various Malaysian issues.

I only believe in a truly respectable and noble co-ownership of this blessed land with my fellow Malaysians, something we have been doing for ages.