As a Malaysian, I find it utterly distasteful that we start interfering in the internal affairs of Singapore insofar as the current dispute on the wearing of tudung (headscarf) by Muslim female students is concerned.

Singapore is a sovereign state and so is Malaysia. Whether the policies of the Singapore government are just or otherwise is not for us to comment. There is always that bad habit of ours that whenever Singapore does something not to our liking, you will see us protesting outside the Singapore High Commission or writing stinging letters to the media lambasting such policies.

How about looking at ourselves in the mirror for a change? Singapore practises meritocracy while we not only not do it but also go to the extent of depriving top students from a place in the local varsities. Well, Singaporeans did not make a hue and cry about our educational policies, did they?

Instead they were smart enough to turn our dumb act into their advantage by offering places in their varsities to our rejects. Why cant we do the same and offer the Muslim children a place in our schools so that they could wear the tudung unhindered for the rest of their school life? Fair exchange?