I was fascinated and subsequently disappointed by the ideas Amri Rahayat expressed in his letter, [#1]Break free and we're dead[/#] (Dec 23). While admitting that the Malays have been spoonfed until they have lost the will to survive, the writer does not suggest or propose any solution to the problem. Instead he is proposing to continue with the special treatment meted out to the Malays to sustain their lifestyle.

Will there be a time when a Malay can stand up and be counted as a success on his or her own merit? (As an aside, it will probably be a perempuan Melayu.)

The writer is not doing his race a favour. Shakespeare once said that adversity is the greatest teacher of all. If you have to fall and hurt your knees and elbows, so be it. What is important is not to whine but to get up, brush off the dirt and get on with life - with a lesson learnt. The longest journey begins with the first step.