The on-going verbal trading between the Umno and MCA youth wings, the Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka expounding on Malay unity, discussions on perceived attempts by the Chinese to 'capitalise' on any weakness arising from the former as well as the question on the proportion of Malays and Chinese 'owning' the wealth of this country are all to be welcomed.

It is encouraging and refreshing to see these matters brought out in the open and discussed by the youth sections of the respective parties with a view to possible solutions.

Indeed, the recent directive from the prime minister that loans to small and medium enterprises be opened to all Malaysians immediately overcomes a long standing grievance and is a result of such open discussions.

However with respect, and in all humility, it needs to be pointed out that these concerns and reservations are not new.

Indeed, merely repeating popular assertions without analysing why or how they came about in the first place will give rise to what might be considered 'inflammatory' statements such as 'We must fight for our race' 'We have a role to play to protect the dignity of the Malays'.

But what, indeed, are the issues here?