In all honesty, I must thank malaysiakini for providing a moderated forum for Malaysians to debate the issue of war and peace in Iraq. I hope you will continue the good work without fear or favour.

I also find the pro-war commentaries very thought-provoking. Many direct, honest and relevant points have been made to remind us that the situation there in the Middle East is not o­ne-sided, but multi-dimensional.

As a Malaysian citizen, businessman and a father of three children, I know that malaysiakini is not as isolated as claimed by Geoff Bray. To be frank, I know there are many Malaysians who share pro-war views in private, or not so actively or passionately anti-war. The problem is that many do not dare to speak up publicly because the government has taken a firm stand to defend Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. We just keep quiet because we don't want to offend the government who gives and takes away scholarships and business contracts.

What Geoff Bray seems to fear is that Malaysians are beginning to acquire the culture and habit of debating important issues openly. In fact, if I were the editor of malaysiakini, I would not have chosen Geoff's letter for publication. It is not to deny Geoff freedom of speech, but based o­n the fact that his letter has no substance at all. It is just an expression of personal frustration.