Since Malaysiakini letter writer Thai Eng Lang ( Children can benefit more from books ) has failed understand the connection between our space programme and the Penang Bridge project, let me make it simpler for him.

Most critics fail to see impact of a project in the long term. More than RM1 billion was spent on the bridge and critics at that time could not see how the money can be a good investment. If the critics have their way, the bridge may not have been built and the northern part especially Penang may not enjoy one of the highest per capita income in Malaysia.

The same is true about the space programme. Building a nation with scientific strength requires investment. A space programme will make our kids excited and interested in science. As an educator for over 20 years, I find this is one of the most interesting times for the kids. Explaining interesting terms like 'ballistic projectile' is to them a joy.

Even the most playful kid literally stopped in his track when he is told that the merry-go-round found in the playground is analogous to a simple artificial gravity machine.

For Thai Eng Lang's information, majority of Malaysian school children are supplied with textbooks every year. The government spent many times over RM90 million throughout the years in providing the textbooks for them. Not many children are as lucky as Malaysian kids. Even most advanced nations do not supply free textbooks to their children.

My friends and I grew up during the Apollo moon landing in the late 60s. We were fascinated by the sight. Many of us ended up as engineers, pilots, doctors and scientists. Some of us obtained PhD in Physics and Mathematics from prestigious universities in the United States, including myself. The images of the moon landing were permanently etched in our memory.

In US, there are voices against the space programme, but these are minority which are largely ignored because time and again they were proven wrong. The public understood the importance of the space programme for military dominance, economics strength and prestige.