I refer to the letter Forget Obama, why don't you all start speaking BM?

Freedom of expression is a wonderful thing, available only selectively in Malaysia, primarily online. This freedom enables many to make apples to oranges comparisons with ease.

A Malaysian Obama aspirant among the minority communities would never see the light of day in this country for if his mother were Malay, he would assume the ethnic identity of his mother hence becoming a majority bumiputera.

Unlike the American president-elect who is regularly referred to as a minority African-American (though he prefers to identify with his biracial lineage), the Malaysian Obama would assume the majority race of his mother. His attainment of high office would have absolutely nothing to do with his abilities as a part-minority but would have everything to do with the fact he is a bumiputera and from the majority community.

It goes without saying that unlike the American Obama, who is free to chose the religion of his liking be it traditional African beliefs or Christianity that he was brought up in, the Malaysian Obama would remain within the folds of the official religion of the country.

Further, the American Obama, being a minority could have gone to Harvard through affirmative action policies though there is no indication of that to date whereas the aspiring Malaysian Obama - having assumed bumiputera status and being from the majority community - would qualify for affirmative assistance.

The aspiring Malaysian Obama would have never been given the right of appearance on any of the mainstream media channels throughout a campaign period given the BN government's infamous monopoly over the mainstream media. Citizens could very well forget about seeing live debates between the Umno PM and the aspiring Malaysian Obama.

Finally, in view of the BN government's ability to scandalise an aspiring and talented bumiputera of PM material to scandalous proportions, one would shudder to think of the fate that awaits an aspiring Malaysian Obama - that of the Hindraf 5 perhaps?

It goes without saying that had he been a Malaysian, Barack Obama would perhaps have emigrated from Malaysia in the 1980s, the decade signifying the advent of our Third World, third-class leadership.

‘Malaysia Truly Asia’, supposedly a bubbling blend of multi-racialism, is a slogan as hollow as the BN government's Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah tagline and the world recognises this farce today despite years of being made to believe otherwise.

Non-Malays are told to accept Malaysia with their heart and soul ie, in racist parlance it means to become Malay as per the constitutional definition of Malay. Try telling president-elect Obama to become a 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant' as a precondition to aspiring for the nation's highest office and see how ridiculous the notion is in the context of 21 ^st century humanity.

Though the various ethnicities have lived together and contributed to the development of this country over generations, Umno and its lackeys behave as though the non-Malays arrived on-shore yesterday.

There can never be an American-like Obama vis- à -vis present day Malaysia until right-wing parties like Umno are shown the door.