I refer to letter Hello, dumb men are products of careless women OK? which I believe is a sterling example of Malaysian sexist literature.

As a qualified woman, a Malaysian, and an academician, I feel that an important issue has been overlooked in Pillai's argument.

Put quite simply, it takes two to tango - parenting is not a woman's sole responsibility. Little boys require solid male role models for appropriate social, emotional and intellectual development, a fact that has been long known (and researched).

If our girls are doing better than our boys, surely it is time to ask the painful question of why this is so. Perhaps these young ladies are being exposed to greater (and more accessible) role models in their mothers and teachers?

Perhaps they are being given more of an opportunity to socialise with adults of the same sex in order to develop their own emotional regulation/problem solving skills?

What is happening with our boys, on the other hand?

How many Malaysian men can remember spending time with a solid male role model growing up? How many learnt about gentlemanly conduct from another man?

Before Pillai points his fingers at the poor parenting of today's mothers and teachers when it comes to the development of young boys, perhaps he should look more closely at the lack of parenting from the male quarter.

After all, dumb men are products of men too, okay?