I refer to Dato' Lee Hwa Beng's letter ( BN's tradition of quotas protects non-Malays ) which purports to be clever but really isn't. In fact, I think it quite vulgar in its racial determinism.

According to him, because Malays are the majority, this necessarily means 'nominations for councillors at municipal levels, candidates for state and parliament will be decided by predominantly or all Malay committees at all levels. We will then see no more or the very few non-Malays nominated at the pleasure of the Malay-dominated committees for councillorship, state excos and cabinets.'

He didn't use 'necessarily' in his statement but it was implicit. Implicit in his statement is also that Chinese and Indians will just vote for their respective races. I just wonder how Dato' Lee votes and conduct himself now that he has given us insight from his experience from the electorate and being a minor leader in the MCA party. And him opining in this manner seems to perpetuate the very ills that the Gerakan proposal seeks to redress.

That Dato' Lee then questions the viability of Gerakan's proposal also betrays the bankruptcy of his intellect in so far as looking for solutions. He did not even try. I believe it will work if members of the political parties and their leaders starting focusing and discussing policy issues honest and meaningfully instead of merely wondering whose camp they are in and leaping from one to the other to ensure their own political survival.

Dato' Lee has confirmed that he is not brave enough to do so or to even foster an environment for such a situation to arise - true and real harmonious multiculturalism instead of a grudging one. That he purports to defend racist politics in Malaysia when his own party has recently reaffirmed constitutionalism as being the basis of this country makes me wonder what his letter was really about. Because if that was his attempt at being an apologist, it is certainly a pathetic one at best and a vulgar one at worst.

I think Gerakan very brave and far-sighted in putting forward that proposal, especially in the present political climate of religious imperialism and a hardening of racial polarisation in this country. Unsatisfactory to me though it may be, but it is a step forward in the right direction.

Finally, there is a Barisan Nasional component party that has the courage to say the right thing openly ( Tough to change BN, says Gerakan leader ). That is more than can be said for the rest of the Barisan Nasional which if you think about it really mean what they say - they are just a national front, or more precisely a national affront to all that is good, wholesome and encouraged in our beautiful though rapidly corrupting society.