I can understand Dr Loo Voon San's dismay and disappointment after being treated so poorly by a policeman. To top it all, he was subjected to what seemed to be a racial slur.

However, the whole incident is an abuse of power by a very minor government functionary. I do not think it is racial. The same policeman will most probably treat other unfortunate Malaysian in the same manner.

Furthermore, this incident has very little bearing to the institutionalised discrimination that exists in this country.

The main component of the ruling coalition has used institutionalised discrimination to maintain political power for more than four decades. It has used this to garner support from the bumiputera community, especially the Malays.

But in the last election it was not even the political party of choice for the Malay community it supposedly represents. The irony is that during the last general election it lost the Malay's support. Guess who came to the rescue of the ruling coalition? The non-bumiputera electorates who voted for the ruling coalition by the droves.

However unpleasant our experience with discrimination, it would be misdirected to aim our anger at the country's citizens, or to a particular community. Malaysia is what we make it out to be. We have made our choice of government, and they remain the ruling coalition. We will have a chance to choose again.