Danny Chan's letter on the the Malaysian government's supposedly different way of dealing with Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore sounds very logical but only for those who are ignorant of realpolitik.

He is asking that we should forget the past and adopt new approaches and only then Malaysia's problems with Thailand or Singapore can be resolved. Chan doesn't seem to realise that relationships be it on a personal or inter-country basis, are still very much based on historical backgrounds.

He pointed out that Malaysia's ties with Indonesia are bogged down by the 'same race' premise. I would go further. It is because both peoples are Muslims. Now let us cast our sight to the four corners of the globe.

Let us start with the Crusades. The Europeans may be of different denominations but they saw it as a struggle against a common enemy, Islam. In the Second World War, the US, despite shedding much blood to gain their Independence from the British, was more than ready to join Churchill. Not long ago the American intelligence helped the British a great deal to win the Falklands War against the Argentinians.

And what about the Iraq War? This is more or less payback time for the British because the Americans had helped them to regain the Falklands.

And then there is Russia, Greece, (Greek Cyprus), Romania, Serbia and Montenegro - all will always find common ground because they belong to the same Orthodox Church.

Can Chan tell me why the Japanese government went out of its way to protect Alberto Fujimori, ex-president of Chile, who was facing corruption charges and not even a citizen of Japan?

Also, if Brazil were to persecute its many Japanese citizens like Idi Amin did to the Indians and Pakistanis in Uganda, does Chan think the Japanese government would not accept them back into Japan?

Does Chan think that when it come to crucial matters, China's policy towards Singapore or even Thailand (whose Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is Chinese) would be the same as Malaysia's? By the way, I am yet to see Chinese Malaysians condemning China for its annexation of Tibet.

And would India have no sympathy for (Indian-majority) Fiji, British Guyana and Mauritius when they are pushed around? By the way, I am yet to see Indian Malaysians (the Tamils) not sympathising with their Sri Lankan counterparts in their so-called struggle for a separate homeland.

Also, I am yet to see China or India expressing support for the Malays in Southern Thailand whose four provinces were clearly annexed like many other past stories of annexation sometimes by way of so-called UN Mandates as in the case of the land of the Palestinians.

I could go on and on.