Mohd Iqbal's comment on ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) does have its point ([#1] 'Ketuanan Melayu' is historical [/#], Feb 8). Every race has the right to own a rod and fish without overdoing it to the extent that resources become seriously depleted.

However, while the Malay Action Front held a gathering recently to point out the ongoing struggle for the Malays, what about the rights and struggles of other races?

Remember the Orang Asli? How about the Sabahans and Sarawakians? Of course the Malays are the majority, but there are others here in Sabah, a former secular state that had to incorporate Islam as the official religion due to the nationalism of this ketuanan , led by Tun Mustapha Harun during the Berjaya regime.

How about the Bakun Dam project? Cooperation between the nationalist-led government and the capitalist corporations has led to the resettlement of Sarawak natives from their ancestral lands. Is that ketuanan Melayu ? Do you think only the Malays here need "development"? These people have not even seen their living standards rise to that of a middle-class Malay, in terms of health, wealth and even political development. The health conditions of their elders and children are far worse than those of illegal immigrants in their camps.

Therefore, without nationalism or any "isms" getting in the way, this whole ketuanan issue must be looked at not just from one angle, that of historical, but also from other angles such as economic. Every race has its own ketuanan , historically, in this country of ours.