Reading KT's letter Sad over bumi, non-bumi rule , I am surprised that many Chinese and Indians (let's be blunt about this) are still deluding themselves that they are second-class citizens, deprived of opportunities, etc.

As a Malay (and bumiputera which includes the non-Muslim Orang Asli, the Ibans, the Kadazans, the Bidayuhs) may I ask this question - if the Chinese and Indians feel they are second class, then who is the first class, the third class and the underclass?

Can we all answer these simple questions? Who lives in better homes, drives better cars, whose children go to better schools, who are the bulk of the members at all the exclusive golf clubs and go to Starbucks and pay RM8 for a cup of cappuccino without batting an eyelid? And just outside, who are sweeping the streets, selling nasi lemak or roti john at the street corners?

Who owns all the upstream businesses as well the lowest downstream ones like selling handphones and running auto workshops?

To me, KT represents a typical human failing. They are never happy. I have always told my Chinese friends that the Malays would rather see the Chinese own all the upstream trades as long as they (the Malays) control all the retail trade, the export-import trade, the sole agency trade, the car workshop trade and the handphone counter trade. This is because the banks can't survive without the downstream economy.