I agree with Amera that non- bumiputras do seem politically apathetic.

But then again I would like to point out that there are good reasons for this political resignation and apathy.

Where ethnic minorities anywhere in the world are perceived by the dominant ethnic majority to be actively organising politically, it plays right into the hands of chauvinist politicians from the ethnic majority party who will be only too happy to depict this event as a looming threat to the dominant ethnic culture, language, religion or race.

Such a reaction (we have all seen it happen before) can be safely considered a foregone conclusion where the minority ethnic community is in any way considered to be more successful socioeconomically relative to the dominant ethnic majority.

Although ethnic minorities in Malaysia form an ever decreasing and thoroughly underwhelming presence in the aristocracy, judiciary, military, police, massive government bureaucracy, parliament and cabinet, the fact remains that race anxieties in the Third World are very easy to manipulate and exploit.

For three decades, the ethnic minorities in Malaysia have resigned themselves to being an all-purpose bogeyman whenever Umno needed to whip up some race anxiety in order to ensure a greater share of the Malay voter bank.

Although non- bumiputras play a significant role in the NGOs (out of choice) and opposition (out of no-choice), the advent of a civil society in Malaysia would have occurred earlier had they felt safe enough to participate freely politically and culturally in the community - that is, if they did not have to risk having their efforts branded as anti- nasional or anti-Malay whenever it was electorally advantageous for BN-Umno to do so.

The only Chinese Malaysians in this country who might be considered patriotic - that is, if you believe the ruling (Umno-BN) party mythology, and sycophantic mass media are the forked-tongued Italian-suited Merz-driving BN-MCA-Gerakan politicians and crony tycoons who are consistently being applauded for no better reason than becoming even richer on taxpayers money. With Umno's participation and blessings, of course.

And thus do our over-privileged elite political classes (Umno-MCA-MIC) become ever richer, whilst the rest of us naive brainwashed masses continue to vote them in. Like anywhere else in the world, the minorities in Malaysia expect more and not less discrimination whenever racial-ethnic politics rears its ugly head.

And thus everyone is encouraged to vote BN-MCA-Gerakan as all who do otherwise are promptly, shrilly, ethnically demonised by the ruling ethnic party Umno.

My attitude to politics in Malaysia is such that for as long as I risk being branded an unpatriotic orang asing and all-round bogeyman, simply for taking an interest in politics, then I shall leave it to the Malays to decide the political direction of this country.

The present wayang appears to centre around Umno and PAS attempting to outflank each other in the battle to secure Malay votes - the former with a "more ethno-racial-nationalist than thou" and the latter with a more "Islamic-religious-hudud than thou" stance.

As for me, I have resigned myself to being a mere spectator. I am too tired and disappointed, and much too disgusted with Malaysian politicians to vote.

At the end of the day, the only privileges (I like to fantasise sometimes that I might be allowed one or two) and patriotic duty (if I might be allowed to call it such) that I will not relinquish is the freedom to think, and to ascertain the truth as I see it, and the freedom to hope for a better non-discriminatory future for all Malaysians, regardless of ethnic affiliations.