Shahrizad Akashah's letter to the editor said: "A racial slur is a racial slur" and let's not make mountains out of a molehill. And in this sense, Shahrizad argues this isn't institutionalised racism unless it is legislated as in apartheid South Africa or Nazi Germany.

This is utter nonsense. Shahrizad's splitting of hairs creates a ruse for Malaysian reality - that is, racism is deeply entrenched, regardless of ethno-religious, socio-economic and other class factors. Somehow, Shahrizad misses the forest for the trees, blinded by the canard she ignorantly propagates.

What if I were to slur her racially? Would Shahrizad simply walk away, saying this was just a racial slur and nothing more - that it is all a part of the politico-ideological system created by the NEP state?

Are the lines between racism, racialism and their forms institutionalised by the Malay-dominated state so sharp and distinctive that it allows people like Shahrizad to make such artificial dichotomies with so much ease that it becomes acceptable as the norm?

Nobody in their right minds would put up with such garbage. Shahrizad ignores the social-psychological nature and impact of racism and racialism which, as everybody knows, is actively sanctioned and promoted by the Umno state as a method of divide and rule.

What's worse is that Shahrizad condones this, and indeed, reading between the lines of what Shahrizad writes, feels entirely satisfied with such divisions, including non-Malays being treated still as emigres and thus as second-class citizens to the Malays.

Even more, Shahrizad is smug by brandishing the unpatriotic label at those who carry the "baggage" of state-promoted racism "into other areas of their lives" such as not flying the Malaysian flag on Merdeka Day.

It's time that the likes of Shahrizad understand that most non-Malays are waiting for their Merdeka from all forms of racism, particularly those sanctioned by the Umno state that has clearly and shamelessly created, not unity among all Malaysians, but greater divisions and anger and distrust.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's legacy is but just this: he has cemented into the Malaysian psyche an 'us versus them' mentality - a rut which Shahrizad says is perfectly legitimate and of no big deal. No wonder Malaysia is in such a hole.