My son's questions — after his interview for a place in the Armed Forces College — have haunted me for a decade.

He is now studying in an Australian university but I can still remember how dejected he had felt after his experience with racial discrimination when interviewed by the armed college recruitment team during his school days in Perak.

The team was one of many visiting schools throughout the country to recruit students for the Armed Forces College.

My son, then in Form Three attended all the preliminary interviews at district level and was then requested to attend the final interview in Ipoh. Among the many students who turned up for the final interview were two Chinese Malaysians.

During the final interview, my son was told that they (the Armed Forces Interview Board) were only selecting only one Chinese Malaysian from Perak. My son was not selected.

He came back from the interview and posed me this question, "Dad, why am I being discriminated? Is it worth to be born a Chinese in this Malaysia?"

As his father, I had to erase his disgust at the discriminatory display at that young age, although deep inside me I felt just as disgusted with the shameless policies of our country.

Defence Minister Najib Abdul Razak should enlighten us on the armed forces recruitment and treatment policies before asking the non-Malay party leaders to explain to their flock that the army needs non-Malay Malaysians too as reported in the New Straits Times (Sept 17, 2002).