I wish to applaud the writer Fahri Azzat who seems most certainly miffed at being called a pensioner or retired worker. Perhaps it may pacify him if I clarify that my statement was of a figure of speech rather than an actual detailed analysis based on years of in-depth research.

I also happen to fully agree with the writer, that those of us who use pseudonyms are to be categorised as cowards and not being very brave. Yes indeed, my dear learned legal expert. I already admitted I am a coward in writing by using a pseudonym.

I do not wish to go into a line-by-line argument in relation to the points put forward by the writer. Suffice to say that whether one chooses a pseudonym or not depends entirely on the wish of the writer. As long as the media, both print and Internet, allow it, people using pseudonyms will not stop writing.

I however beg to differ that writing under one's own name is to lay claim to bravery. Surely this cannot be a yardstick of bravery?

I would perhaps classify as brave people who seem to have gotten into massive trouble but continue to struggle for what they believe in regardless of personal drawbacks and suffering.

I would include under this category people like Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, P Uthayakumar, Mohd Ezam, Tian Chua and Irene Fernandez (in the Malaysian category to name a few.)

These people have been hunted down without any compassion whatsoever by those in authority just because they believe in championing the cause of the underdog or highlighting injustices of the system.

To describe as brave someone who uses his/her real name to write letters to the media is an affront to the really brave people who do not merely talk but do.

I just hope that someday, I too, will be able to summon up the courage to be like these people and champion civil rights. Only then will I think I qualify as being brave. Not just because I used my real name and wrote a letter to the editor.