G James, whom I presume is the same person who was my House Officer in Kuching more than 20 years ago, writes eruditely on the why of emigration .

His reasons are very valid with an admirably balanced view of local history. But his explanation does not help us to move forward in this continuing debate though other writers appeared to have offered some solutions.

Being a bumiputera of non-Malay origin from Sabah certainly helps James to see things in a very different perspective. His observations about the Malays and the Chinese are largely true and I concur. I will now write, wearing my green (de Bono) thinking hat.

Whether it was the fault of how history was shaped and written (by the previous colonial masters) or other reasons, why Malaysians never ever united as one after Merdeka is a matter of speculation. It is important to note that the spirit of the desire for independence probably had its roots during the Japanese occupation rather than before.

Malays, Chinese and Indians (and others) all fought alongside the British in the guerrilla war against the occupying forces.

Chin Peng's extraordinary and revealing autobiography (recently published in Singapore) is an excellent and well-researched documentary of a freedom fighter's perspective. Freedom first from the Japanese occupying forces and then from colonial rule.

It appears that soon after the Japanese surrender, the British suddenly turned against some of those who fought alongside them. This divide-and-rule tactic certainly divided the Malayan hopefuls and has carried on in a different form till the present day.

As a nation, Malaysia will never move forward with the NEP or any re-engineered replacement. Many have written about such reasons and continue to do so.

One needs to go back to the drawing board and ask why the simplicity of being ruled and subdued in the colonial era led to peace and harmony and little envy, whilst apparent 'freedom' has not.

Was it the 'them versus us' mentality which caused unity? Was it the reverence for the Sultans or the British monarch? Was it the fear or respect for the 'orang putih' and their discipline and steadfastness which stood all in awe?

The ISA was originally used to curb 'insurgency' - a term perhaps fabricated by the British to disown and criminalise those who helped them in opposing the Japanese occupation and then, after liberation, vied for control.

It has since been used as an instrument first to incarcerate 'enemies of the state,' later, perhaps 'enemies of the government' and more recently 'enemies of political leaders', Who could be next?

The British Empire certainly knew about globalisation a long time ago, but they also knew how to exercise precision control through a long-accepted practice of class distinction and discrimination.

The difference within Asian societies is more subtle and more complex to handle and the class system cannot work. The British always kept two level-playing fields. But when they left, they left one (a level one) behind, taking theirs away.

Now, we are only just discovering the wonders of globalisation but sadly, thanks again to the evolution of Malaysian society norms and practices, not every Malaysian is eligible to be a global citizen.

Malaysians who now play on the British playing field according to their rules, usually find it level. Those who play on the one they left behind discover it to be very slippery, at an incline and are also faced with moving goal posts.

The question to ask is when would the playing field be level again and why should it not be made level now? And, when will the goal posts also be fixed? After all, it will harmonise us with the rest of the world and will select those who can vote with their feet (i.e. those who can emigrate) as well as those who cannot.

Do not wait too long - the rest of the world, including ex-Soviet states have caught up fast.

In the meantime, sure, James, I will be happy to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination as I have always done. But nothing more until the slippery slope is levelled and cleaned again with fixed goal posts.

Even then, I am becoming increasingly uneasy about the regularity of the haze in the region.