I am writing with regard to the remarks made by Dr Khoo Kay Kim on Dec 9, suggesting that Chinese and Indians, being the minority races in the country, give up their mother tongue. Personally I strongly disagree with his views.

I find his opinion out-of-touch with current global trends of economics, employment and cultural diversity.

After 12 years at a Chinese school, I was very fortunate to be sent to Australia to complete my three-year bachelor’s degree. At school, I had an opportunity to learn Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia and English. After I completed my university education, I was able to secure a good job due to my good command of multiple languages.

Five years ago, my UK-based company opened it's first branch in the Asia Pacific Region with the main purpose of serving the fast developing China market. I was the candidate selected out of 15 from the rest of the world to head it.

One of the main reasons I was selected was due to my ability to speak and write fluently in Chinese and English, and my familiarity with various local cultures and values.

Currently, I have 20 employees under my supervision and a quarter of them are Caucasians. I would say that without my solid education in my Chinese school, I would not have achieved what I have today. I am proud of what I am and grateful for the education I received from my school.

It seems Dr Khoo is out of touch with the current education system in the country and profoundly unaware of the global employment market. I have the feeling that he is still living in his 1950's cocoon and is not in touch with today's global economic trends.

These days, international corporations are not only looking for graduates with good academic results, they are also looking for candidates who speak and read in multiple languages and are familiar with various cultures.

I would say that, in order to unite a country, unity should be promoted in the country's policies as a whole, rather than looking to ban the mother tongue of certain groups.

For example, no racist discrimination and ensuring everyone is equal. Jobs and schooling opportunities should be awarded to anyone based on ability, regardless of skin colour. This would benefit the county as a whole.

We should be identified as Malaysians rather than Malay, Chinese or Indian. With these policies in place, I am very confident Malaysia would be able to retain local talent and be a powerful country in the region.

Many of my classmates have remained overseas after university due to better opportunities abroad. Singapore is the major beneficiary of Malaysian talent.

Yes, I agree with Dr Khoo that 50 years have passed and we are still arguing about race. It is sad to see that some politicians, academicians and historians in these modern times are still trying to raise old issues.