I am a Muslim and I have nothing but sympathy for non-Muslims who have to put up with the azan (call to prayer) being amplified from mosques five times a day.

This was perhaps necessary at a time when there was no other form of transmission. But in this day and age of television, radio, digital clocks, Internet and SMS, why is the azan still amplified through a PA system without regard for the community?

At the risk of being accused as a traitor, I hope and pray, on behalf of my non-Muslim brothers and sisters, for the day when the azan is strictly limited to communities that are 100 percent Malay and/or Muslim.

To be fair however, I must say that noise is part and parcel of other religions in Malaysia too.

I live in a predominantly Chinese apartment block. Occasionally, the neighbours would burn paper offerings in the corridor. With little ventilation, the smoke will seep under doors and into apartments. I don't think I have to tell you what it feels like when you suddenly smell smoke in the house while taking a nap in the afternoon.

Another neighbour, a Hindu, rings prayer bells every Friday evening. Prayer sessions are sometimes held with the door open and the sound of loud chanting spills into the corridor late at night.

Have I ever complained to them or kicked up a fuss with the management? No, I have not. This is perhaps due to the fact that I, being the sole Malay on my floor, am a minority.

But I think the main reason I put up with it is because I have come to accept the noise and cacophony of the various religions and cultures as part and parcel of living in a multicultural community. Granted that some noises can be more annoying, louder and more pervasive than others!