First of all, I would like to commend malaysiakini for publishing the letter by Dawud in which he bitterly criticises malaysiakini as a 'poison' to Malaysian society. Perhaps it is his way of expressing his gratitude to the Malaysian authorities for granting him permanent resident status after just three years of residence in the country.

Be that as it may, Dawud should be more specific about his allegations that malaysiakini lies and distorts reality; that it blatantly misrepresents, maligns and connives to put at risk the socio- economic cohesion of Malaysian society. It is not enough to simply hurl accusations and hope that some of it will stick.

I have every respect for Islam as a simple and beautiful religion, but I don't think it is a 'privilege' to talk about it. On the contrary, I think it is healthy in a multi-religious country to comment on how one perceives the different ways in which a religion (Islam or any other) is lived and presented, without criticising the beliefs and values of that religion.

It is by respectfully sharing our perceptions of reality that we are able to gain an appreciation of another's beliefs and cultures, which in turn helps to build a more cohesive Malaysian society.

Otherwise, we will continue to put on a facade of racial and religious harmony, and further reinforce the views of Dawud's ilk that such harmony is 'an impossibility in the face of practical reality'. I commend malaysiakini for standing up for what Dawud believes is an impossibility.

I agree that the pursuit of one's human rights should not be at the expense of the rights of others in society, but Anwar Ibrahim's case only highlights the blatant violation of an individual's human rights by someone misguided claiming to act in the best interests of society. People like Dawud are wont to say, "I love mankind, it is people that I can't tolerate".

I will have no problems when the human rights situation in Malaysia is brought into sync with the pristine values of Islam. When that day comes, it will be time for permanent residents with views like Dawud's (as evidenced in his letter) to leave our fair land.