I refer to M Sahaja's letter entitled Let's hear from the Vincent Tans, Goh Tongs and Anandas .

The writer seems to suffer from an acute form of composition fallacy i.e. what is true for the individual must be true for the group. Just because there are a few Vincent Tans, Goh Tongs and Anandas, all Chinese and Indians must be billionaires. By the same token, just because there are a few Halim Saads and Daim Zainuddins, all Malays must be billionaires.

But we all know that this is just not true.

I think most fair-minded Malaysians recognise that there are underclasses within each ethnic community. Therefore policies should be targeted at marginalised individuals and not entire ethic groups (which include rich politicians and entrepreneurs).

By all means, let's give out scholarships to deserving students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds but not only limited to the poorer Malays - include all other communities as well. By the same token, well-off Malays, Chinese and Indians, including politicians and royalty, should not be given any assistance as they have the economic and political means to advance their well-beings.

The writer asserts that Malaysia is the only country in the world where the minority controls the economy. He is dead wrong. It happens in all countries.

Minorities control the wealth of all countries in the world. I'm not talking about ethnic minorities here. I'm referring to the elite group in every country that transcends ethnicity and who control the majority of the nation's wealth.

We are talking about the Daim Zainuddins, Goh Tongs and Anandas in every country who help each other and themselves to the economic pie. This is well documented by the Gini coefficient that measures the inequality of income distribution across a nation. The point I am trying to make is that wealth and poverty are blind to race and religion.

His assertion that 'There are sufficient Chinese and Indian representation in the government' is blatantly untrue. Yes, there are Chinese and Indians who are so-called MPs and ministers in the BN's so-called coalition government but in reality they are only Umno's overpaid spokesmen for the Chinese and Indian communitiy.

These are the same chickens that dare not stage a walk-out at the most recent Umno general assembly when Umno's demagogues were threatening to spill the blood of the Chinese if the Umnoputeras did not get their way. Call that representation? This is not even close to the spirit of cooperation that existed among the Alliance parties prior to and immediately after independence under Tunku Abdul Rahman. Give us a break. We are not that stupid.

I also take issue with his statement, 'I would ask that the Malays not be blamed per se. The majority of Malays are also at a very disadvantaged position; they also feel they deserve better'.

After 36 years of the NEP, the majority of Malays are even more attached to their NEP crutches. The Umnoputeras use the Chinese community, the so-called international Jewish conspiracy, the West, the Pope (anything but take the blame for their failed policies to uplift their own community) as bogeymen who will take away those golden crutches.

It's time to wake up. Discard the crutches and walk on your own two feet just like the rest of us. You will struggle at first just like the rest of us. But the struggle is what make us strong and able to compete. Eventually you will be fine and will ask why you even bothered with the crutches that held you back in the first place.

Everyone feels they deserve better - that's a no-brainer. But only those who work smart and hard really get the rewards. So join the rest of us and get on with it.