Sadirah K (' The challenges I face here lies my final salvation ') makes a persuasive point when she/he asserts that "racism is evident everywhere" and points to real examples in the US, Australia, New Zealand and India. Indeed she/he is right.

Human nature (Sadirah is right again) is the same everywhere. However whereas there are racist people, companies and establishments in many countries to my knowledge (save limited affirmative action programmes in the US and India), Malaysia stands out today as the only country in the world that practises institutional racism. The other blot on the global landscape, which is now fortunately over, was, of course, apartheid in South Africa).

By institutional racism, I mean to say that when I apply for a job in Australia, New Zealand or the US, my ethnicity does not in theory matter, even though those who interview me, when they see that I am not white (presumably), may not give me the job because of the colour of my skin.

In Malaysia, however, from beginning to end my race matters officially and is used as a factor to decide my application and this is sanctioned by the law and practised widely. This applies to jobs, education and promotions to what price I pay for a house, whether I get a contract to do a job, well, really right to my grave (and, indeed, yes, to my final salvation)

No other country in the world (at least the civilised world) practises this form of institutional racism today. So, while it is true that "racism is evident everywhere", sadly institutional racism is only evident today in 'Tanahair ku'!