Whenever I have to fill up a form or document of any kind, either in the private or public sector, I am required to specify my race if I am a Malaysian.

However, due to the recent publicity o­n the Inland Revenue Board, I notice that nowhere in the income tax form are we asked to state our race. I wonder if this is a printing error or by design.

If it is by design, and I am sure that it is, it reflects that the government does not care about our race as long as we pay our taxes. Why do we have to state our race in all other forms?

This way, when someone asks our finance minister to give us a breakdown o­n the racial composition of taxpayers, he can honestly - and it is not easy for a politician to be honest - tell the rakyat that he does not know the answer.

Maybe a true Malaysian member of parliament will ask this question at the next session of parliament. Since taxpayers need not state their race o­n our tax forms, I ask all Malaysians to refrain from stating their race in all other documents, or to just state "Malaysian" if required.