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

Basically, what the writer is saying is that to be a PM or supreme leader of a country, one has to be assimilated into the majority race and religion to be eligible. I beg to differ!

The acceptance of a leader by the people, ultimately, is not based on the ethnicity and religion of that person but on his or her ability to lead and inspire the whole nation; to be competent, just and fight for a united cause for the betterment of a nation's people.

Even if a non-Malay is assimilated completely into the so-called Malay culture and became a Muslim, either through conversion or childbirth, he will never lead a nation (for long) if he is dictatorial, corrupt and incompetent.

Likewise, a Malay with the same attributes will face the wrath of the rakyat (bumiputera or otherwise).

The writer commented that many non-whites have assimilated into the 'white' culture in America but can he or she provide any numbers? I doubt Hispanics, Asians and Arabs immigrants 'gave up' their cultures easily.

However, they practiced behavioural assimilation or acculturation. Non-whites or non-Americans, like most non-Malays in Malaysia, speak a common language which is English (and in Malaysia, Malay, of course).

They absorbed societal norms, values and behavioural patterns (play basketball, eat hot dogs, sexuality acceptance, watch American sitcoms and movies); but at home still speak their mother tongue and retain most of their traditional beliefs.

Socio-economic and structural assimilation happens when non-Americans begin to integrate into formal social, political, economic and cultural institutions in American society (becoming politicians, business and community leaders).

These are the two major types of assimilation happening in America and in Malaysia in general.

If you look at history, America by far and large is a country of immigrants. America was shaped by people who came from all over the world.

The first wave were mostly of European stock (Italians, Irish, Germans), though now increasingly people of Arabian, Hispanic, Asian and Afro-Caribbean descent define America.

If the non-whites' population becomes the majority, then which race should be the president? The answer is, anyone! (like how our dear PM stated).

The difference between America and Malaysia is that it doesn't matter if you are white or non-white as Americans will accept the person as long as he/she is capable, competent and fair.

By the way, in which part of our federal constitution does it state a minister must be of a particular faith, race and belief? Nowhere.

I speak Malay, not just to Malay friends but even with many non-Malay pals and though I am not as proficient as I wish to be, I am still good enough to be labeled a Malaysian.

I travel a lot due to my job and it fills me with pride when I proclaim I am a Malaysian who can speak and write Malay, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka and a smattering of Tamil and Hokkien thrown in together. The amazement on my foreign friends' faces makes me feel like a genius!

The rakyat may have political and ideological differences, but we must first accept we are all sons and daughters of this land (no more pendatang !) and everyone must be given the same opportunities to excel without sacrificing our rights under the constitution. Governments and political parties come and go, but not the rakyat .

And to the writer, this land is no more ‘Tanah Melayu’, it is Malaysia and for bloody good reason! Malaysia is a multi-cultural society and thus, its people read newspapers of different languages, speak multiple languages, eat different foods, marry different people, and most importantly, have the broadest mindset (well, we should anyway).

As a popular advertisement says, ‘We are truly Asia!’ We should unite, leverage our multi-cultural strengths and conquer the world, not drown ourselves.

For this to happen, our leaders must be smart, clean and strong regardless of race and religion. Period.