Noticing the continued emotional outbursts of individuals like Dr G Walter and others that emigrants are 'cowards', I feel compelled to offer my alternative viewpoint in this impartial forum.

Cowardice appears to be associated with running away from an adverse situation - plain and simple. This term has its meaning derived from war and physical conflict. It has an insinuation of a lack of courage and honour and as such, has very negative and destructive connotations.

The essential question then is: 'Are emigrants running away from an adverse situation cowardly?'

I would think not: I think they are smart. The past three decades or so have seen exponential development in Malaysia in the physical sense but certainly not spiritually.

Malaysians who are famed for hospitality and kindness (there are still many) are rapidly becoming rare, in synchrony with the industrialisation of the country.

It appears that the undesirable social traits of apathy, greed, pride and 'always can do' when the truth is 'cannot do' (perhaps an aphorism for ' kiasu ') are fast emerging.

One can now easily get robbed or raped in broad daylight overtly or subtly; one could be stabbed or shot or slain in the process, or, one could even be an innocent bystander in this melee.

The fuzz is no better and needs a royal commission to spell out to the nation that they are out of synch with a moral and ethical society. One sees appalling racial polarisation everywhere this was not evident when I was a schoolboy in Malaysia in the 1960s.

Attempts to address all these are not only poorly planned and coordinated, but completely misdirected.

One sees a majority race wielding power and abusing this by the unfair imposition of their culture, religious practices and even language on others sadly sanctioned and constitutionally encouraged by the powers which rule the land. Meanwhile, amazingly, their own kind who do not join the party continue to suffer greatly.

Sadly, in the game called 'compromise', others have become tolerant of this and even joined the team to show support as they too believe that they will somehow benefit from their actions. Opportunists do well; those who are not, less well and those who hang on to their principles (certainly not cowards) definitely miss out.

Those who miss out may or may not be adversely effected but sometimes they too think of the future of their families as this scenario cannot remain perpetually static.

There may be an opportunity to reverse and remove this adversity as opportunities arise elsewhere with globalisation. So what have people through the ages done? They have migrated.

This is where they are definitely not cowards they relinquish all certainty in their lives and face the future courageously, accepting the great risks. They work hard in a new environment in their adopted land.

They definitely compete (sometimes unfairly) with those already there. Is this cowardly? Definitely not. No, these are the future survivors.

This is what the great nations throughout history are made up of - immigration of the fittest and their readjustment and subsequent success. Countries compete for the best new immigrants, while the source countries often continue to wallow in their 'good riddance' mentality.

About those who choose to stay whether they are beneficiaries of the system or not or just deluding themselves that this will not go on forever are they courageous, cowardly or just apathetic? Or are they just too tired to care?

The bottom line with present day globalisation is this: compete on a level-playing field or you will lose. Plain and simple.