I refer to the malaysiakini report Bad economy: Chinese may 'return' to China and would like to offer a few thoughts regarding Dr Mahathir Mohamad's recent comment that Chinese Malaysians will return to China if the economy here doesn't improve.

It's the racial division in all facets of the government's racially-based policies that has led and, unfortunately, is still forcing non-Malay Malaysians to head for overseas for better opportunities in all fields.

I left Malaysia about 20 years ago. I left not because the economy was in a bad shape. It was in a good shape! In fact, I would have done better if I had stayed behind. I left because I was fed up with the divisive racial-based policies of the government that I experienced since as long as I could remember. And I felt there was no way I could change the system.

When I was in lower secondary at a government-aided school, I was wondering why only the Chinese pupils had to buy textbooks and pay the monthly school fees. Some others had it all free. I didn't know the rationale then but could only envy them.

Later on, I was surprised when two Malay classmates were selected to proceed to do the then Higher School Certificate (Form Six then) though I had far superior academic results than both of them. I missed the selection.

Every Monday morning we stood shoulder to shoulder at the school assembly and sung the same national anthem with the same gusto and yet we were treated differently. Again, I couldn't understand all that.

I had, at great expense to my parents, to do my HSC at a private college before embarking on my tertiary education overseas (you guessed it right I was rejected by the local universities). Upon my return, I found to my great disappointment that nothing had changed and that the bumiputera and non-bumiputera concept was still firmly entrenched in all aspects of government policies.

I didn't want my children to compete in such an unfair environment. I wanted them to have 'a fair go' especially in education. For this reason, I left Malaysia. This was the same reason that drove so many well-educated, multi-skilled non-Malay Malaysians to leave.

Malaysia simply can't afford to lose so many highly-educated, highly-skilled non-Malays. Other countries will only be too happy to welcome them. Just imagine the benefits they stand to gain without having to outlay any costs to train them.

If Malaysia is to survive competitively at the international level, it has to seriously reassess its racially-motivated policies. The polices have failed to uplift the well-being of the bumiputeras with the exception of the well-connected elite group.

Admission to all local tertiary courses, the tendering of contracts, the appointments to public office, etc, have to be based solely on merit not along racial lines. Public scholarship to higher studies should be likewise too.

Genuine competition breed success. Malaysia's future is at stake. It isn't too late to act.