I refer to Rajah's letter on potential fifth columnists, where he raised two points for discussion.

Firstly, Rajah's mention of the contributions of Indonesian workers towards Malaysia's development doesn't mean we are obligated to continue using them. They had come here to work under a 'hire for reward' contract (legal or otherwise), and once the tasks have been performed, we do not have any further obligations.

We need to evaluate the security imperatives of the day as to whether such a worker from a particular foreign country would be desirable. We should not be subordinated to only commercial requirements where the preferred workers are undoubtedly Indonesians.

On Rajah's second point, the reality is that every foreigner - not just Southeast Asians - is a potential fifth columnist. Thus, I have no disagreement with him on this. But the assessment as to the alien's threat must be made in relation to our nation's current and potential security situation. Today, I would not be particularly alarmed with an influx of Sri Lankans, Laotians or Vietnamese.

We have just witnessed the most ferocious animosity and unjustified martial strutting by our very big neighbour. Virtually every strata of its society has demonstrated very belligerent behaviour, suggesting perhaps there has been unofficial or covert approval from the top for such blanket hostility to intimidate us.

To emphasise this worry, we have just experienced the most puerile vandalism of our cyber domain , even though the dispute should belong at a diplomatic or legal level. Some Indonesian red necks have even descended into the gutter by threatening our young and innocent students studying over there. Their pattern of behaviour is predictable, typical and unrestrained by civilised conventions.

This has all been the more regretful when both Malaysia and Indonesia not only belong to Asean, but were its founding members. Additionally, since after the Konfrontasi, the two countries have repetitively declared their eternal brotherhood, making particular reference to their

'common ethnic roots'.

As I touched upon in my previous letter , it seems that for our southern big neighbour, oil is not only thicker than blood, but has also clogged up the diplomatic conduit and fuelled the flames of bellicosity.

Despite losing the northern Malayan states to us via the British, Bangkok has never had designs on Malaysia unlike Indonesia, which had not only threatened us with invasion and annexation during the 1960s, but still possesses a right-wing Nusantara concept that embraces Malaysia as an integral part of a Greater Indonesia a la the Sri Vijaya Empire.

While Thailand accepts we are a different nation, some highly fossilised and conservative elements in Indonesia still believe we are an Indonesian province that will eventually be brought back to the fold.

We could go on and analyse every potential fifth columnist threat from a list of Southeast Asian countries, although, of course, this is a job for the security authority. But even for us lay people, who do we suppose would pose the greatest security problems to Malaysia as fifth columnists in the light of recent regional problems - Indonesians, Thais, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Burmese, Singaporeans or the Bruneians?

One doesn't need to be rocket scientist to come up with an intelligent answer.