During the times of yesteryear, Malaysia was a plural society. The architects of her independence hoped that this would continue and so do many in the past and current population. The present ruling parties also claim that Malaysia is a plural society.

Dr G James ends his piece with the lines: 'Our duty is therefore to realise the potential in each and every one of us. All of us have a part in this mission'. I assume that James stated this in the context of his personal view that Malaysia should remain a plural society.

It is not often that a bumiputera debating the special privileges issues in Malaysia makes such an admission and I agree wholeheartedly with it. I also do not disagree with the notion that the gene- environment interplay is what moulds the individual characters of the young and the adult alike. Indeed, it is probably more the environment though having the right genes do help some of the way.

Oppression by the BN government of ambitious opposition parties has seen a long history with various leaders employing a host of tactics in suppressing and silencing the opposition. It appears to have become worse lately and those in power have beholden themselves to become bolder, more crass and these, presumably have plunged Malaysia's transparency ratings into the doldrums.

When it is our duty to realise the full potential in each and every one, the duty involves that this be fair, non-discriminatory, realistic and truthful. For example, there is really no point in sending a poor kampung boy on a scholarship to study space engineering and then encouraging him to return to serve his people in the kampung.

There will be no immediate possibility of a spacecraft industry in the country let alone the possibility of running water or modern sanitation.

Similarly, if a rich kid or child of a cabinet minister or a BN-supporting civil servant gets the grades, there is really no utility in offering him or her a scholarship to pursue medical studies if there is no interest or if her lifestyle includes plans to spend her time cavorting in clubs with no interest whatsoever in serving her people in the rural areas (pardon me if I sound like a Jawi officer!).

It boils down to the education system, its grandiose design, its implementation and the associated planning and scheming. The discriminatory system long practiced was initially designed to exclude non-bumiputeras.

I remember sitting for and passing the MCE examination when a pass in Bahasa Kebangsaan was not a prerequisite to get a Grade I in the Cambridge School Certificate as there were two separate certificates awarded.

I also remember that my many Malay friends never considered themselves privileged or special but as equals. When I was at university in the UK, I met many non-bumiputera Malaysians who had excelled in their grades but failed Bahasa Malaysia.

I am sure there must have been many other good students who fell casualty to this strategy but whose parents could not afford to get them to study elsewhere. This strategy of exclusion was soon - and not unexpectedly - overcome by the non-bumiputeras.

The next phase saw many non-bumiputera students excelling in the national language and finally, when all subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia, the crunch came. How can English, the lingua franca of science, mathematics and technology be removed and these subjects taught in a minor Asiatic language with the students still expected to compete globally?

Recent changes in school curricula may look reassuring but it would be decades before an altered outcome can be reliably observed. Excel they may in their own homeland but not likely when competing with others outside.

Poor planning in the past - which continues into the present with short sighted fire-fighting type policies favouring one race and one group (i.e. supporters of the Barisan Nasional) - has presumably led to the current situation the country is in.

It would probably not improve despite recent moves and that is why scores of professionals (and even the educated bumiputeras themselves) are taking their children out of the country or the system (e.g. home schooling) for their education.

Even cabinet ministers and civil servants, who so hypocritically and falsely extol the virtues of the deficient education system, do the same. Others emigrate and they should not be blamed. Seriously, after having tasted the virtues of a foreign system, who would wish to return?

Those of us who have returned from overseas have tried hard but it appears that it is a losing battle in helping others fulfill their potential in a system which is, by its grand design, inherently biased.

My humble view is that the quicker the country rids itself of this 'en-crutched' mentality, the faster it will adapt into the stream of globalisation. The alternative, of course is to continue pontificating on these special privileges and why they are needed and continue to move down the old road.

My choice has been to leave it all this pseudo-plural society - (even in my late 40s) after having been very patient and gracious for many years. I now live in a truly plural society which readily accepts me for what I am and recognises me for my contributions.

I continue in my mission to boldly and straightforwardly tell Malaysians in this forum to resist and protest the unjust policies.

Yes, it is our duty indeed to empower everyone to realise their full potential, but this would never succeed if the ingredients of a plural society are not allowed to exist, let alone grow.