There are many who, such as LCH ('Vote with your feet'), are upset and emotional over years of discrimination. I too felt this way until the last five years when I begin to see and meet true Malaysians who respect each other in spite of our differences in colour or creed.

Among them are those who are truly worthy of leadership in this multiracial country of ours and I would do injustice not to name them - Dr Syed Husin Ali, Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua, N Gopalakrishnan and many other like minded leaders. They I name because I have listened to their speeches or read their views in the papers.

For once in our lifetime, we can hope in a formidable opposition and create a truly Malaysian Malaysia for Malaysians! Dr Syed Husin called it "A New Malaysia". He has inspired hope for me and many others. You see, we have all been brought up to think racially. Even LCH's letter was racially based. However, we must fight against it.

We must respect each other as Malaysians and see poor as poor, weak as weak and downtrodden as downtrodden, regardless of our skin colour. It is no longer a fight among the races, but between the rich elite tied to politics and the poor and ordinary rakyat.

I say, don't vote with your feet, but do vote. If you run away today, you will always be running from injustice and oppression and bigots. The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it. Malaysia shall be "tanah tumpahnya darahku!"

As for Mustafa Ong's letter, I am honored that malaysiakini has allowed me to dialogue and disagree with a man of his stature. No where else in Malaysia can we have this kind of forum.