I refer to the Malaysiakini article No more rhetoric, in which the writer rose to the defence of the Mahathir years and dismissed another writer who he deemed to be naive and to have been blinded by western rhetoric about democracy.

We don't need young kids coming back from the west telling us we have missed democracy. In fact, we don't need democracy, he says. What we need is a government and groups that will look after the needs of the people.

And which government, pray tell, is going to do that? The Barisan Nasional government? Which wasted so much of the taxpayers' money on mega-projects? Which squandered so much of the royalties and monies accrued to them by Petronas? Which has polarised Malaysian society with its insidious racism?

What has 51 years of the ruling coalition's iron-grip on power done for us? I mean, really? This is not mere rhetoric. Once, we were a country with solid civil institutions, with an effective police force, a respected judiciary, an independent media, and a decent education system. What have we now?

Our universities, though many more in number than back in the 70s, are mediocre. Every year we slip down the international rankings. The police have become so politicised and lacklustre, they are not able to do their basic work of curbing crime and making us feel secure out in the streets and in our homes.

I don't think there is any need to elaborate on the state of our judiciary and press.

In fact, we don't have to look that far. Just witness the condition of our public transport system. After 51 years of BN rule and nearly as many years of having a transport minister, what have they to show for it? The transportation system in the Klang Valley and Penang is a joke. Our rail network remains the same, basically, as the one built by the British. And how long ago since they left the country?

You say young people who are educated in the west should be thankful to their parents, who could, thanks to the good economic times of Dr Mahathir Mohamad or a very nice government grant, afford to send them there.

I will tell you, sir, that most of the young people who went there, went on their parents' hard-earned wages. And they did so in spite of the obstacles put in their path by a government that is indifferent to meritocracy, that offers them neither place nor financial aid if the colour of their skin is not the appropriate one.

Aid for the poor and reward for the talented should never be coloured by race. Why should it? This has been the undoing of Malaysia. Why is there such a massive problem of brain drain, and why are people made to be aware of their racial differences and to feel resentment?

Anwar Ibrahim promises an affirmative action policy based on needs rather than race, and I say bravo. It is time we stand as one people and one nation to join hands and build a better tomorrow.

And lest you think I am one of those young punks, I'll have you know that I am a father of three who worries about my children's future in a country rife with corruption and whose competitiveness slides every year. I don't plan on relying on this government for help, and, if I can help it, my children will not go to the local universities.

It is sad, is it not? I think this country could be so much better. We should have been twice as good as our neighbour south of the crossway. Alas, we are not.

You speak of Mahathir as if he were a hero and visionary, a man who presided over good economic times, chased the west out, and asked, "Why can't Malaysians do the job?" Oh please. What job has he done? What great job has the great Malaysian government carried out? Look at where the other co-economic tigers of the 80s, such as Korea and Singapore, are now compared to us.

What went wrong? Mahathir and his mega projects. Mahathir and his great toleration for unchecked corruption. Mahathir and his urge to feed his cronies. Mahathir and his cavalier dismissal of the rule of law, his dismantling of check and balance and rule of law.

The Mahathir who, against the spirit of the constitution, says Malaysia is an Islamic state. The very same Mahathir who today, quarrelsome as ever, insists that Malaysian Chinese don't mind racial politics. Apparently, it's Badawi we can't stand. Talk about projecting and wishful thinking.

We cannot take much more of the evil ways of the Barisan Nasional. Forget Dr Mahathir's biography, for biographies are for the most part inherently self-glorifying. Please read Aliran and Khoo Boo Teik. You will learn something, my friend.