I read with interest the letter You can't 'convert' to another race by Unprivileged Race and The Indian-Muslim opportunists in Umno by AM Raj.

Let me share this with you. Back in late 1970s, I was in Form Five of an English medium, so-called Catholic school. Majority of the students were Chinese with a handful of Malays and Indians. There was this boy in my class. He is obviously Indian, with Indian parents but he has a Muslim name as does his father. His used "bin" instead of A/L (anak lelaki) in his name, between his given name and his father's name.

He did not do very well in the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM equivalent). He had one of the worst aggregates in class, around 20 which is equivalent to a Grade Two. When applying for matriculation (medic), he listed his status as bumiputera and was accepted to the matriculation course.

The rest of us slogged through High School Certificate (STPM equivalent) and fought for limited places in local universities. Of course, most of us would not have results good enough to get a place in Universiti Malaya's medical faculty, even though we did better than him in the MCE. He is probably a doctor somewhere in Malaysia.

Although one can't convert to another race, it is possible to become a bumiputera and enjoy special privileges such as housing discounts, quotas for universities and scholarships. If I were smart and practical enough, I would have married a Malay girl and converted to Islam so my children would than be bumiputera. This Indian classmate of mine is certainly smarter.