I refer to the letter Dark side of Pan Asian favouritism.

While it is true that skin colour may influence certain decisions, it is not fair really to lay the blame on the local media. I quote a line from that letter, which asserts that 'you rarely ever see a dark skinned Indian newscaster, model, ad talent or VJ on local TV'.

What about Bollywood movies from north and south India? When was the last time you saw a dark-skinned hero or heroine? Even if the phenomenon of slim and well-toned Caucasian-looking actors in Bollywood movies is a fairly recent thing, fair-skinned actors aren't. Look at the Kapoors. Even the screen legend MGR had his face lightened by make-up his movie roles. Why? You can't blame it on lighting.

Remember the American sitcom 'Good Times' and 'What's Happening'? That popular series proved that you could feature African-Americans that weren't light-skinned or had straight hair and still not lose out in the ratings. But such things are the exception rather than the norm in a society that will probably never see a black president, at least not in this lifetime.

Fashion and beauty magazines like the US and UK editions of Vogue and Cosmopolitan rarely put black or coloured women on their covers. The fashion designer Yves St Laurent was famous for using African models on the runway, but when it came to magazine photo shoots, white women were used instead. Even today, a magazine with a black woman on the cover will not go down well with the French white majority.

I once worked for an organisation which printed French material. Those destined for French- speaking African countries will show an African model, while those for Europe would show a white person. Preference for a certain look and a certain colour is not a phenomenon exclusive to white or fair-skinned people.

It's a sad fact that certain segments of society will have to struggle much harder for recognition. And it's a situation that is not limited to Malaysia alone.