I refer to the letter Tsunami aid what have we done for the Arabs?

I think the writer misses the point that very wealthy countries are not contributing commensurately to the relief effort. By one account, just from the bonanza of high oil prices, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are earning an extra US$400 million a day. These are certainly over and above their normal oil exports earnings.

For Saudi Arabia to give only US$10 million - later raised to US$30 after much international and domestic shaming - says a lot about their sympathy for fellow human beings, let alone fellow Muslims.

Malaysian Citizen in Saudi Arabia wrote: 'Just because the Arabs are Muslims is no reason for the Middle Eastern countries to commit themselves to helping us. After all, what have we done for them in the past?'

My response is this: but what have the Indonesians done for the US, the Australians and the Japanese in the past? If the answer is 'nothing', it would demolish the writer's argument.

The point is, with their vast God-given relatively unearned windfall, should the Arabs be expected to give more? And what about our neighbouring oil-rich sultanate?

Personally, I would not applaud too much the fact that Michael Schumacher gave US$10 million . Praiseworthy enough, but certainly not beyond expectations given that US$10 million to him is pocket change. Likewise, it would not be out of the ordinary if Bill Gates were to donate US$1 billion.

But I really take my hat off to those kids who broke their piggy banks to donate, or to the Buddhist priest who sold his temple to donate the proceeds.