With regards to your report Malay dignity and survival at stake , I do not think at issue is the survival of the Malays. They are confident enough today and the stage of survival is well behind us.

However, the more challenging issue relates to their sense of dignity as a people. Here the 'Malays' will have to take a hard look at themselves. They today monopolise the civil service, the armed forces, the police and the local councils to name a few. These are facts that are visible.

They have very good representation in the government-controlled companies which they manage professionally. In addition there are several trusteeship companies for them that have representations in the private sector. These range from companies in the plantation, transport and banking sectors.

Let us give due credit to the achievements of the NEP. Without a sense of gratitude, we will all be overwhelmed by sheer greed. But let us also admit that there have been weaknesses in the implementation process. I remember the days of the 'pink forms' for IPO listings week after week. There were several special allocations for the bumiputera community.

The sad part of this exercise was that they took advantage of it and sold their shares and made good money. Had this been managed in a more appropriate manner, whereby they were only able to sell a proportion while the rest should have been held for a period of five years or more, then today their equity holding will be more than 30 percent.

There can be no dignity without honesty. All affirmative action policies must have a time duration - they can never be eternity for if this becomes so, then the survival of the Malays would really become a serious issue.

Such policies aim at achieving social justice and equity while at the same time empowering people to be self-supporting. Without gratitude and an expression of where you have reached, any demand for extending the NEP affects the dignity of the community.

The onward journey is a Malaysian journey and within this context the present shortcomings must be addressed. At the same time, consideration should be given to all poor and needy Malaysians across the ethnic board.

We must move our multiracial nation forward and onwards. A Towering Malay is not one who speaks of Malay needs but of Malaysian aspirations in the context of which Malay needs and targets will also be met.

Had some at the Umno general assembly spoken out for the need to address corruption by making the ACA an independent body and by scrapping the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the ISA, they would have painted a picture that would have seen a great response in many progressive Malaysians.

With the Internet, globalisation and the 'glocal' mindset, we need new ways of thinking and managing old issues. Our stunted democracy needs space to match our impressive economic development. Otherwise we will continue to read about scandal after scandal.

There is no running away from this. By opening up, a lot more Malaysians can be enlisted to help create a progressive, efficient Malaysia. Sadly, Umno Youth has once again missed the bus by being more Malay than Malaysian and despite credentials from Oxbrdge, there is still a long way to go.