I fully sympathise with Brad Shepherd's sentiment of being treated like trash by immigration personnel in Malaysia.

I have often had the same feeling - when visiting the UK. The immigration officers there look at you like some kind of unwanted species that dared to come into their sacred territory.

Their questions are probing: Why are you visiting here? How long do you plan to stay? Do you know any local persons? Do you have any money on you? If you do, show us what you have, etc etc.

To even get a smile from one of them is like striking a lottery so, of course, I do not expect nor have I ever been told to enjoy my stay in beautiful Britain. Well, of course, I am dark-skinned so I ought to accept that all this is perfectly normal.

The fact that I am a Malaysian scientist residing in Europe for more than three decades and have on many occasions previously travelled to the UK, oh well, that is only incidental.

My point, dear Brad, is that immigration officers the world over are pretty much the same whatever the colour of your skin. When you enter the country you are an unwelcome visitor for who knows, maybe you are a potential immigrant, maybe you are a terrorist, or whatever.

Oh, but you are a tourist did you say? Hmm, okay. Don't forget, the host country only wants your dollars, not your person!