Dr Mustafa K Anuar article above is a commendable statement of our Malaysian reality as portrayed in Sepet and Gubra by Yasmin Ahmad. The critics of our movie scene seem to be persons coming from two different times. Some live in pre-independence Malaya when non-Malays were seen as immigrants. Yet some live in present-day Malaysia recognising the transition from a wholly Malay society to a multiracial Malaysian society, which is what happened after independence.

For the non-Malay Malaysian born in Malaysia, it is not possible to think of oneself being other than Malaysian and treating all ethnic groups alike. So whether mixed marriages occur makes little difference to the multiethnic Malaysian as this is accepted as a fact that human beings fall in love and get married. This is the ideal - that love overcomes all barriers, even of race and religion. It actually works in our society with the increasing number of mixed marriages that take place.

We have now such a race as 'Chindian', apart from Eurasian which has been around for centuries. 'Bangsa Malaysia' is an un-proclaimed reality even if the authorities prefer not to recognise it. So there is truth in Yasmin Ahmad's portrayal of Malaysian society. It would be wise to look forward rather than back because the reality will sooner or later overtake outdated prejudices.

The other irony is the censorship in that what is good, like love and compassion, are censored while what is bad, like violence against women and gender discrimination, are freely aired for public consumption. Just watching the trailers of movies to be shown on any of our TV channels makes you wonder what sort of morals are being promoted by these broadcasters.

Some 'gurus' here seem to see an act of love like a man helping his wife in the kitchen as demeaning, therefore demeaning to women as well. So I wonder how they treat their wives and daughters? Moreover, this also brings into question the censorship of 'kissing' scenes. When a man kisses a woman he loves and she returns that love, this is taboo for these 'gurus'.

The ones most vulnerable to the influences of the media are the young who will be our future Malaysian society. What kind of society will that be?