I can understand SS getting somewhat steamed up with his White man rules Down Under response to my piece which unfortunately underwent a title change and emerged as 'The Utopia called Australia' on publication - a rather smug and provocative heading, no doubt.

Under the circumstances, I can also understand the reasoning behind the predictably clichd counterpoints that SS has resorted to in his attempt to rubbish Australia as he did.

However, as I am not running down the shortcomings of life of one country or another but rather depicting important real life issues that affect life in a developed country like Australia, I shall endeavour to comment on some of SS's points that bemuse me.

To begin with, it is fallacious to classify Australia as a country that is made up of white men, aborigines and Asians as SS has done. Australia is a much more diverse and complex country than that - so much so that the term 'white man' is a virtual misnomer.

Consider the fact that there are tens if not hundreds of thousands of white men of Italian, Greek, German, Maltese, Russian, Yugoslav, Lithuanian, Armenian (the list is endless) descent living in Australia as Australians.

Given that large numbers of these white men can barely read let alone write English, can anyone imagine how feasible or otherwise it would be for them to carry on as though they are 'superior' to the Asians, most of whom are pretty proficient in English, as SS claims.

Given that race favouritism (a euphemism for race discrimination) is a legal formality in Malaysia, I must say I find it difficult to follow SS' contention that it is 'unlawful to discriminate against anyone based on race, colour, religion or sex everywhere in the world - not just in Australia'. Surely, he/she is not deluding himself/herself that what is practiced in Malaysia is not race discrimination.

As for the free university education my children received, a quick search in the library should reveal the fact that under Labour prime minister Gough Whitlam, free university education was accorded to all and sundry in Australia.

It was only later when the bean counters got into the government act that university students began paying higher education fees.

As regards the treatment of aborigines, I trust SS is not implying that Malaysia treats its own aborigines any better than what Australia is currently doing.

A better life to all.