I refer to the letter Feminist movement akin to separatist movement by Dr Azly Rahman.

The writer has accused me of misunderstanding him due to my lack of careful reading. 'Mintak maaf ya encik, saya ni budak Melayu, belajar pun tak lah sampai ke luar negara, jadi nak baca Bahasa Inggeris yang terror-terror ni, saya tak pandai lah encik...'.

I may not hold as many Masters as the writer nor be able to write long, convoluted and rambling articles on the metaphysical aspects and the ideology of feminism. The writer must think himself very clever in his 'clever' dissertation of Malaysian feminists, spewing forth words along the lines of post-modernist/post-structuralist, bourgeois-type, subtle neo-colonialist and the fact that the Malaysian feminists of today seem only to be an echo of the Western feminism struggle.

Unfortunately, in his vehement and determined struggle to trivialise the growing awareness and emergence of Malaysian feminists, he comes across as an elitist intellectual, encased in his comfy armchair and so out of touch with the reality of what is happening in Malaysia today.

While the writer contends himself with his textbook definitions and his intellectual, high- handed, misogynist take on why we Malaysian feminists should first read and study the genealogy, historicity and post-structuralism of (what is that darned thing called?) feminism before we can even say a word on that subject; the rest of us Malaysian females, older generation as well as the emerging young, upper, middle and lower class are more interested in actually living in the real world.

And through our experience and our voices and our beliefs and our knowledge make a stand for ourselves and our rights in all realms of our lives.

And we will not be silenced.