Allow me to address some of the points raised by Dr G Walter in his letter Enough of bumiputera bashing .

First of all, the letters published in malaysiakini were not bumi-bashing. They are NEP/NDP -bashing. Opposing a policy is not the same as opposing a group of people.

To suggest giving the bumis extra points to gain university entrance may be patronising to the bumis, but that is no different from the current system. It is just old wine in new bottle. Walter has the right to feel insulted, but why is he not equally indignant of the present system?

Secondly, the issue of equality and justice in all spheres of government is not championed only by a minority, neither was it never brought up before elections. Remember the Suqiu saga?

Some pro-government extremists threatened mayhem because some people dared to question what they thought are their birthrights. What with the ISA and the government's stranglehold on the printed media, who can blame the dissenters for being muted?

Thirdly, one has to take the election results in Malaysia with a large dose of salt. Even disregarding the irregularities during the election, gerrymandering, the well-funded government machinery and the hampered opposition, a vote for the ruling coalition does not necessarily mean an endorsement of NEP/NDP.

It means there simply isn't a viable alternative, or the alternative is even more unpalatable. Seeing the futility of changing the government through effective representation, no wonder so few non-bumis care to vote (if Walter's statistics are anything to go by).