Mom's letter Malay-bashing in urban schools rampant is a reflection of our society based on ethno-religious political policies.

The non-bumiputeras are being sidelined in government-controlled entities, be it the police force, the army, the civil service or government-linked companies. The private sector, predominantly in urban areas, is the only refuge left for most non-bumiputeras and it should not be a surprise to expect them to dominate this sector despite some emigration.

Discrimination exists in every society, but in Malaysia we have institutionalised discrimination based on ethnicity and religion. It would be nave to believe that such national policies do not affect the disenfranchised and force them to take out their frustrations in a form of verbal bashing.

I can sympathise with Mom's frustration that her daughters feel compelled to strive so hard to gain the acceptance of their non-Malay peers and teachers in urban schools. It will not be of any comfort to her to know that far more non-Malays have had worse experiences with national schools and universities in Malaysia.

But Mom can take comfort in the fact that when her daughters apply for places in local universities, they will be the favoured ones over the non-Malays.

Our political policies have much to answer for Mom's daughters' experiences. If we, as concerned Malaysians, believe in harmony among the various races and religions, then we must work towards a society based on social justice and fairness.

With ethno-religious-based political parties, Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP, this is as good as it gets in Malaysia with the rest of the world passing us by in the globalised market. The only course of action left for most ordinary Malaysians to initiate a change is our democratic vote.