The government should correct the wrong it has inflicted upon Dr Lim and all those associated with this disputed study by releasing sufficient data to permit independent academicians to either refute or verify its findings.

On Lim quits over Asli's report retraction

Peter Ooi: Dr Lim stated in his letter of resignation that "as director of the CPPS, I take full responsibility, and stand by the findings of the study and other studies that were submitted in our report to the government on the Ninth Malaysia Plan in February 2006".

I must congratulate Dr Lim for his bold stand. All fair-minded Malaysians would appreciate and admire you for the principle you stand for. To be frank, a man of such high standing is very hard to come by in this beloved country of ours.

How I wish all our 'leaders' have such principles and integrity like Dr Lim. The very fact that our cabinet ministers are labelled 'half past six' goes to show that such attributes are sorely lacking.

Thomas Cranmer: I offer my heartfelt support of and appreciation to the professional and ethical values of Dr Lim Teck Ghee following his resignation from Asli. Were he to have continued at Asli, he would have joined the rest of the staff there in implicit support of Mirzan Mahathir's retraction of the report.

The attempt to silence academic research by politicians is a truly grave insult. Further, it is shameful that the media has seen fit to publish these political arguments against academic research in the absence of any evidence to back up the statements made.

As an academician myself, I am outraged that the findings of a professionally conducted study have been disputed by means of allegations of racism, flat denial and the repetition of political dogma without a single reference to evidence. It is a fundamental principle of all academic work that the findings of such a study may only be called into question by another such transparent

study drawing contrasting results.

I therefore call upon the government to correct the wrong it has inflicted upon Dr Lim and all those associated with this disputed study by releasing sufficient data to permit independent academicians to either refute or verify the findings with scientific precision.

YSM: Malaysian leaders are too emotional to allow any room for objective analyses and discourse. The BN government is no longer reflective of the majority of Malaysians who are more tolerant of each other and who seek truth and justice. Instead, the government seeks to protect its own group of elite members who have for years live off government welfare and aid.

Research centres like Asli has no future in Malaysia until our leaders are objective and not ruled by emotions. This can only happen when they stop playing the racial card. It is going to turn around and bite them one day, and that day is not too far away.

Wee Kiong Ang: Who has got more credibility - those who disagree with Asli's findings or those who have objected?

With the retraction of Asli's report, does it meant that the figures provided by the government, or shall I say Umno, are more credible? Not by an inch. Even adding the 18.9% and 45%, and divide it by half would still give us 32%, still more than the 30% target.

But this shouldn't be about percentages. It is about how the development has been hijacked by Umnoputras. It is about those in position of power being greedy and unrepenting. It is about the rural folks continuing to suffer at the hands of the Umnoputras.

The Right Way: Dr Lim Teck Ghee has proven to be a man of principles and has set a fine example to other Malaysians. He puts to shame others, in particular politicians who do not have the backbone and principles. They cling to their posts, sometimes even in the face of obvious wrongdoing, out of greed and self-interest. At least, we know there are Malysians with first-world mentality.

Meng: If Mirzan and others say that this report is inaccurate, give facts and figures. Show us the wrong assumptions and calculations. Where is the error? Don't just say it is illogical and give simple analogies like an acre of land in Kuala Lumpur is worth more than an acre of land in the kampong. Let's have an informed debate on the findings instead of dismissing it as sensitive and illogical.

My sympathy to you, Dr Lim. You have held your head high by standing by your research and resigning. This country is run by simpletons. As Khalid Ibrahim said, "our nation is in the hands of schoolkids." Gulp.

Hear, See and Speak No Evil: With reference to the above article, it goes to show that Asli or anybody else, be they professional researchers or not, should never publish any research report which reveals any truth which Umno finds very hard to swallow, but rather publish untruths, which it would like people to believe as they have been doing with their mainstream media.

Ramesh: What the Malay political elite is saying in effect is this: "After 50 years of independence, we still need help. Who are you (the non-Malays) to tell us that we are a successful race? We are failures now and we will continue to be failures in the future. Anybody who says otherwise better watch out."

Anak Malaysia: The debate over the Asli report has now gotten out of hand. Even our former prime minister has got it wrong when he said that if the Malays are not helped, there would be chaos . What I would like to say to him is that if the poor Chinese and Indians are not helped, the results will be the same.

The prime minister must now take the bull by the horns before it is too late. At the political level, BN has already decided that the Malaysian cabinet must reflect the racial composition of the country. Now it is up to the government to be a model employer and distribute the opportunities in this country according the racial composition of the cabinet.

We have reached a stage where every race needs help otherwise what Tun Mahathir said will come to pass though not for the reasons put forward by him.

Ah Chong: Dr Lim Teck Ghee has done what is unheard of in Malaysian political scene - that is to resign out of honour and integrity. No one in the Malaysian government would have done the same thing. Before this, I have not heard of Dr Lim, but today, I am glad that there is still such a man of principles and integrity.

Sadirah K: If I were in Dr Lim's position, I would also resign. We need critical evaluation of facts but everything is under the Offical Secrets Act that one may not be able to secure relevant data for such a study.

The researchers, I am sure, has used available data to come out with their findings. Again, we have racialised the issue and lost the plot. When are we in Malaysia going to grow up and look at issues based on the merits of the findings?

Politicans have an ethnic agenda and they are the last people who can criticise an academic study. Even if they do, criticise it by providing facts that illustrate the weakness in the study rather then take a racialist position and try to push everything under the carpet. The fact remains that Dr Lim has opened an avenue that calls for greater transparency.

When will we have an academic study that shows how the NEP has been abused and how it has benefitted certain vested interests? Without such open reviews we are going to have a lot more of the same and the targets will not be met in the next 25 years because of the lack of honesty and credibility.

On Muslims warned against Deepavali greetings

VA: I bet if the tables were turned, if someone says you should not put up Hari Raya greeting cards in the office, or play Hari Raya songs in the shopping complex, that poor guy will be prosecuted and probably a price will be placed on his head.

How do expect other races who want to live in harmony, when they are continuously subjected to so much of discrimination and humiliation. Where does it all end?

Saddened Hindu: The comments made by Fauzi Mustaffar has hurt and saddened many non-Muslims in Malaysia. Perhaps it would be a good idea for non-Muslims, especially Hindus, to withdraw all insurance policies they may have with Takaful.