Please allow me to give my two sen's comment on the current controversy surrounding the action taken by Umno against Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

First, I must make it clear that I am not an Umno member neither am I a member of any of Barisan Nasional's component parties. But what draws me into the discussion over this matter is the emotional, irrational and irrelevant arguments that have been forwarded by Raja Petra against the report made by Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Raja Petra should have stuck to the real issues that have been brought up rather than attacking the person or party that has made the police report. Umno made a mistake by allowing a 'tainted' person like Muhammad Taib to make the police report. They should have appointed somebody like the former 'imam' of the National Mosque, Firdaus Ismail, to do the job instead of Muhammad Taib. Then the arguments would not have diverted to unrelated issues.

As a 60-year-old Malaysian citizen of Malay descent and of the Muslim religion, I have been following the many articles and postings on 'Malaysia Today' that touched on Muslims and Islam with a feeling of sadness and anxiety.

Based on the contents of those articles and postings, I believe many of the writers are non-Muslims who either do not know or know very little about Islam or have a slanted understanding of the religion. Sadder still are those who claim they are Muslims but on analysing their comments I can conclude that their knowledge of their own religion is very superficial.

In view of the above, I fully agree that before matters get out of hand, drastic measures must be taken against those who pay scant respect to the sensitivities of Muslims in this country. Freedom of expression should not be regarded as a blank cheque to vent one's misguided anger or frustration without due consideration that one is not living alone in a vacuum.