M Bakri Musa's analysis o­n affirmative action shows sophistication but I am not so sure it is enlightened. Encik Musa blames the continued backwardness of the Malays o­n Islamisation and extreme policies o­n Bahasa Malaysia; but he sees affirmative action as progressive for the Malay race.

There is no arguing that affirmative action has prevented the marginalisation of the Malays. But to argue that it has actually brought progress to any race anywhere is not nearly proven. After more than half a century of affirmative action in the US, this has not been the case. Studies attribute progress of the discriminated to the overall rise of economic activity, not affirmative action. Evidence also show that minorities living in European countries that do not have affirmative action having higher living standards than similar groups in countries that adopt affirmative action.

Further affirmative action is not o­nly very costly but also does not actually guarantee economic participation. In the US, there is a movement among progressive minorities calling for an actual limit or reverse o­n affirmative action. A growing number of Liberals - traditionally supportive of anti-discrimination laws - are against affirmative action.

While I agree with most of Musa's views, I am disappointed that he does not see that Islamisation and Bahasa Malaysia movement was o­nly possible because affirmative action programmes made it so. By not being compelled to be competitive, many choose to indulge in non-competitive behaviour. To get rid of the emphasis o­n religious education and learn more English is too simplistic. So long as there is affirmative action, even if there is no Islam and no Bahasa Malaysa, there will be other things to replace them.

The root of the problem is still affirmative action - bought at extreme costs but it will never bring us close to equality until it is removed.