Many non-bumiputra students are understandably upset at not being given places in the universities. They should not worry for they will get their just desserts somehow, even if later.

Being in the education service myself, I am sickened that bright and intelligent students in Malaysia are not being given a chance to better themselves through education, whereas in the west, universities are fighting among themselves to attract the best students by giving out scholarships and incentives. But what do we do? We are still barring the good ones. Ironic, isn't it?

Are we really so blind or dumb to realise that it is the bright ones who are going to bring change, prosperity and advancement to the country? Not the ones who lived by the motto of ' cukup makan sudah-lah '. What are our leaders doing? What's going on in your heads that you do not seem to realise this fact?

As for the protest over Cecil Rajendra's poem Kingdom of Purplaya , there is this Malay proverb: Siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas . So what if someone voiced his displeasure of the current administration? As free people, aren't we allowed to voice our opinions?

In the US, there's a comedy series called That's my Bush which portrays the president as a nitwit and the first lady as a drunk. And the Americans are laughing at the jokes.

Are Malaysians such an insecure race that they cannot even take a ' teguran ' (gentle reproach) or worse a ' kritikan ' (criticism)? It is from our critics that we better ourselves. It is from our failures that we learn of our own weaknesses. If we do not self-reflect and analyse our shortcomings, when will we realise what's wrong with us?

Those angered by the poem should prove the poet wrong. Then the people will not take his writing seriously. Until you are able to do that, the truth will always hurt.

We may be sensitive and emotional people, but first we have to use our rational mind to think - what if we are the oppressed ones? Would you rather be the oppressed ones? Always try to be in the other party's position to understand their opinions and actions. Then maybe we will be a little more wiser.

Some letter writers have mentioned about discrimination in the commercial sector. It is not the same as institutionalised racial discrimination - we are the last nation on earth to have such policies. Even South Africa has done away with apartheid. So, who can we point our fingers at now? At our own noses?