I refer to letters written by Can't Keep The Faith Now and Ryan Davidson . I support the view by Teck-Hoe Chan which objectively assesses that 'moving to a new country is never in itself a profitable or unprofitable venture - it really depends who you are and what values you hold.'

When I read what Can't Keep The Faith Now had to say, I could not help but reflect back to the same reason used by someone I know who ripped apart his Malaysian passport when he wanted to emigrate. He used to be a high-ranking personnel holding a respectable position in a local daily.

Then Operasi Lalang came in the mid-80s, which caused him to temporarily lose his job. He got so fed-up that he declared he'd rather face the white man's spit than to endure all the stupidity that this country was dishing out.

And so he moved lock, stock and barrel to his promised land, where the sky was ever blue and that stars there shone brighter than those in KL ever could. Fifteen years later, his adopted country went through a horrendous recession and he got laid off. His wife left him for a white man and his kids disowned him.

When he came back to KL for a vacation (paid by his parents residing here), he tells us that his adopted government is great because '... they pay him to live and that he doesn't pay taxes' (meaning he is on the dole).

He confided to me not too long ago that while he did not regret the decision to emigrate, he did feel remorseful that he did not prepare himself adequately to face the very different social dynamics which ripped his family apart.

It was painful because it took 15 gradual years for the disintegration set in. On hindsight, if he had stayed, he would have been a multimillionaire given the head start and social status he had gained before he left.

Was money the issue? No. He left because he felt this country could not fit with the principles he held. Was his children's future the issue? No. The kids quit school midway and didn't want to continue with their college education. Was social security the issue? After being laid-off during recession, he had to work as a janitor cleaning school toilets, waking up at ungodly hours in the morning, which resulted him falling sick.

And he had to tender to his sickness alone at home. His kids did not visit him at all during that time. He got sacked because he couldn't work and since then has been unemployed.

And the lesson here? Like Teck-Hoe Chan says, '... it really depends on who you are and what values you hold'.

If you wish to emigrate, please do so with wisdom, not with emotion. Best wishes to Can't Keep The Faith Now and his family.