I am certainly glad that we will adopt a novel method to tackle racial polarisation among the young by promoting twinning programmes between vernacular and national schools, where the majority of students are Malays.

For the record, it is the 'brainchild' of acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the scheme could involve children from a Chinese-language school, Tamil language school and a national school coming together at regular intervals for day-long activities.And to make it a reality, a school in Kepala Batas will be host of such a twinning programme.

I am glad to note that a directive will be also given to Education Minister Musa Mohamed to send out a circular encouraging schools to find such twinning partners. I am confident that this time, the comprehensive reform of the national school system cannot be thwarted. Not with the backing that both Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah are giving to this project.

Abdullah was also right that the reform of the national school is extremely important for our nation to arrest trends towards polarisation, extremism and intolerance. For the record, at present, fewer than five per cent of Chinese students are enrolled in national schools at primary level. For Indians, the percentage is about 14 per cent.

It must be also noted that many non-Malay parents prefer to send their children to vernacular schools, pointing out that the atmosphere in national schools is overly 'Islamic'. They also lament the inadequate time set aside for the teaching of the mother tongue.

Another trend that was also recently discovered was that an increasing number of Malay parents are giving national schools a miss, preferring to send their children to religious schools. It is therefore timely to arrest both trends that will have an impact o­n the nation in the future.

As a consumer and social activist, I must point out to the acting premier that it is pertinent to also address several insensitive and offensive statements, acts and behavior by teachers, youth leaders and government agencies, which are seriously also undermining a already polarised Malaysia.

And I am upset that these are happening not in PAS-held states, but, in states within the Barisan Nasional fold. And if unchallenged, these incidences could seriously undermine attempts at national integration and unity.

The pertinent question remains whether this acts and "spate of insensitivities" by "extremists within the Barisan fold" are indeed "isolated cases" or the "omissions by the Barisan leadership" to take punitive action against those who perpetuate this form "an oversight".

But I must point out that they will have an impact and will undermine the much publicised RM6 billion national service programme that is to be unveiled to foster national integration and unity in Malaysia.

Some of the recent issues that need to be addressed are as follows:

- Racial slurs by teachers directed at students from a minority group, such as the incident at SRK Seksyen Satu, Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Selangor.

- Unilateral decisions by institutions of education and higher education o­n "compulsory dress code" such as that was imposed by Politeknik Ungku Omar in Ipoh, Perak that required "all graduating students regardless of race or religion to wear the songkok or tudung at their convocation", which was o­nly retracted after a public furore.

- The offensive and insensitive statements made by office bearers of Barisan-led parties like the Umno Youth information chief Azimi Daim recent statement that "the Malays are the masters of this land".

- Arbitrary decisions, rulings and statements made by local government authorities like the "new ruling" of the Johor Baru City Council from Jan 1 requiring a written approval from Muslim neighbours before seeking a dog licence, which contradicts our international tourism advertisements, that we are indeed a tolerant, sensitive, harmonious and progressive plural Malaysia of diverse races, languages, cultures and religions.

I sincerely believe that unless there is a comprehensive attempt to address these various acts, omissions, frequent insensitive and offensive statements by various demographs, our national integration and national unity attempts would be undermined.