Recent letters to malaysiakini have been disturbing. In particular, I refer to the issue of Muslim supremacy that has been frequently discussed by letter writers.

Before I begin, I must compliment malaysiakini for providing a forum, even for discussing 'sensitive' issues. It is rare to see forthright and frank discussions o­n this matter especially among Malaysians.

It is true that Muslim Malays do comprise a majority in Malaysia, and that political strength in a democratic country always depend o­n the majority. However, this o­nly highlights the fact that 'majority' in the case of Malaysia is defined according to ethnic and religious identity.

Every human wants an opportunity to achieve the best in life and avoid suffering. Nobody likes to be told that this opportunity is denied them based o­n their religious conscience and genetic materials. This is the same whether a person is Chinese, Indian or Malay.

Saying that because Muslim Malays comprise of the majority and therefore political right is denied to other races, is to believe that race and religion play a more important role than the understanding that everybody is human and is subjected to the human condition.

In other words, it is to deny that the 'other' races are equal to the Malays. The cynical among us may laugh at the idealism of equal status, after all, the constitution had stipulated that the Malays are indeed accorded special rights that cannot be questioned.

However, my point is this: How can Malaysian society mature to a state where every citizen considers themselves and everyone else as born equal in every respect and hence accorded equal rights and opportunity? This question cannot be answered if Malay supremacy holds because it denies the inherent rights of the other races by definition.

The usual response that I get to my pesky question is this: "either like it, or get out of Malaysia!" I cannot believe this as the o­nly solution although it seems that Malaysian society is beginning to accept this mode of thinking.

Looking back at the history of Malaysia's development for the past 20 years, I am not surprised that it has come to this point. As a nation, Malaysian politics has not progressed further than Congo, except that we do not get to trash our differences with weapons.

The way to progressing the national consciousness is clear. It is the thought of knowing that Malaysia can do better than what it has already achieved in the past 50 years since independence, and the thought that every child of every ethnicity can live in peace with o­ne another without knowledge of racial 'supremacy'.

It is to this end that every citizen should strive - not by the simplistic and short-sighted view of maintaining the status quo that has begun to corrupt our younger o­nes with hopelessness and stagnation.