'I have suggested a probable cause. Perhaps someone can put forward a practical solution,' said KHK in his letter.

Is this not the typical attitude of the man on the street in Malaysia? One is free to criticise practically every aspect of life from the way the administration is governed to the lack of blue skies. But that's where it ends. Constructive criticism? Never heard of it.

Mediocrity may be endemic in our beloved country, to say otherwise would be turning a blind eye on a blatantly obvious fact. However, I believe it is wrong to say every facet of our lives is inherently mediocre, and it is wrong to generalise and say that all Malaysians do not strive to excel in their particular fields.

The whole concept of 'Malaysia Boleh' is admittedly overblown, but it does address a principal that we should all hold dear to our hearts that we, despite being a rather small third world country, have the ability and the diligence to rise above the rest and set our place in history.

Looking around at our 'counterparts' throughout the world, we are definitely a miracle in the making. Just compare Malaysia and Indonesia. Yes, they may have so-called 'freedom of speech' but at what cost?

Government propaganda? Maybe, but there is nothing wrong in believing that we can rise above such mediocrity. Drilling this belief into our mentality may be the first step towards increasing what little self-esteem some of us might have.

No country is perfect. Take our education system for example. Our education system definitely needs to be tinkered with, but we also have to bear in mind that our education system is relatively young, and we are still on the learning curve. It would be good to pool the resources of our teachers and educators and listen to their opinions. It would be good for the opposition party to have a say and suggest alternatives. But there is hardly any point in saying 'You're wrong! It can't be done!' without providing something more concrete in its place.

Reading KHK's letter, I can't help but feel sad that a Malaysian can look back at 46 years of independence and feel a sense of failure. I look back at my short life, and wonder at the changes that I've witnessed and look up in awe at the Malaysians who are highlighting our presence in the international arena. But then again, maybe I'm just young and nave.