I agree with Tracy Kuan's statement in the letter ('Separate country from religion,' July 13) that our country's official stand on religion is not the greatest thing that is representative of the people of Malaysia. Likewise the thoroughly unsatisfactory and parallel racist stance of the government.

When you have an 'official' religion, it becomes the orthodox prize, no doubt, close to the hearts of just a section of the people who share the same faith at the expense of others pushed to the background as unorthodox in the sense of inferiority in terms of efficacy in conveying the moral and ethical equation to mankind.

Such was the wisdom of the Americans that they do not evince such a ready bias although many have always been Christians.

What aggravates further such a situation already inclined towards encouraging religious chauvinism has been the crude officially promoted sense of racist parochialism (in the name of narrow - minded unity) at the bottom line.

Any faith is no better than the examples exemplified individually and en massed by its ordinary adherents.

One asks why any one faith should see itself on the pedestal above all others, indeed so, when its adherents are purportedly expected to live with God-enjoined humility?