In response to the letter by YSM, any racial tendency displayed by most non-bumiputra is largely the outcome of essentially Malay-designed political system. While I may know many Malays who I deem incredibly warm and have very good regard for; the truth is, like most non-bumiputras, I view the undesirable outcomes of our system as largely created by the Malays.

While I am aware that the system is dominated by a small group of politically powerful Malays, the truth is that those in power were put in place by the Malay population, and even those who oppose BN overwhelmingly chose to vote PAS rather than PRM or Keadilan. That DAP was completely ignored means that change can only happen when either the Malays change themselves, or more realistically, a disaster forces change upon them.

The historical record of political change indicates that only external events will change this country, not internal reform. Even Malay opposition is driven by an external revival of Islamic fundamentalism. Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself made his policies largely based on external events, and not because of his own choosing.

As a young Malay politician, concerned only with the plight of the Malays, he has changed policies only due to external circumstances. The truth is, Dr Mahathir has not improved our system. He merely recognized that Malaysia has to change with the rest of the world. Hardly any policies, including and especially the NEP, added value to our system and people.

(The NEP has been but a blunt instrument with at least as much damage as benefits. Even then, benefits could have been achieved through either non-quota-based affirmative action or a broad poverty eradication measures.)

As much as I respect and wish for the leadership of Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali, vice president Tian Chua, I do not see the possibility of it ever happening without an external event forcing it. The idea that eventually the Malay political class will change when the time is right is not only nave but has no precedent.

Dr Mahathir's assertion that the Malays will give up the NEP when they are confident enough is just logically flawed there will always be those who are not confident enough. No protected group ever became competitive under protection. In the most idealistic scenario, it would take more than a few lifetimes and great pain before any change would happen.

Real internal change is very difficult anywhere, and we in Asia have a poor track record. Look at Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia and the evidence is clear. Look at our history and the evidence is clear. Our politics has always been dominated by political opportunism, not real internal reform.

Despite what Dr Mahathir says, "doing it our way" has not been the key to Malaysia's success, but rather, I hate to say this, "their way" the meritocratic way, the democratic way, the individual rights way.