I refer to the letter Karpal's outburst rude, alienating .

I agree with the writer that all races should respect one another but:

• no one, whether emotional or otherwise, should be making death threats; and

By saying that DAP will lose Penang in the future as Malays will be the majority, it sounds like the same rhetoric outbursts of Umno - ‘Malay Power’. The writer should realise that a state like Singapore is successful, not because it is Chinese-dominated or because of ‘Chinese Power’, but because it has proven itself to be efficient, clean, well managed, and fair to all races.

If Penang and the other four states can model themselves in the same way - whether Malay, Chinese or Indian, they will again be returned to power ie, DAP, PKR and PAS. I hail from Johor Baru, but am now a resident in Penang.

I note with interest that the views of the Malays in Penang are different from those in Johor. Actually, this is not only unique to the Malays - even the Penang Chinese and Indians are exceptional to their counterparts from the south.

The writer opined that he and his like-minded friends feel strongly that PAS should join Umno. PAS, however, would have done that long ago if Umno had been a clean and efficient government.

I have families in Singapore and Malaysia. When I ask my nephew in Singapore what he is - he answers ‘Singaporean’. Not ‘Chinese’. When I bring Malaysian politics into the conversation, he says I am racist!

I have worked in Singapore for 30 years. My Malay colleagues look at their Malaysian counterparts in a different light - so do the Chinese and Indians there which is why the Malaysians do not have a good opinion of Singaporeans!

Malaysian Malays do appreciate the freedom that a secular state has given them. It is very easy to say that Malaysia is a secular state, but practising hudud law is another issue.

Please do not run down Karpal Singh. He should be respected, instead. At least he has the guts to stand up for what is right or wrong, even after going through ISA. We want effective representatives to speak up for us.