I refer to the letter Non-Malays were unmoved by reformasi's street protests . First of all, let me compliment K Temoc on his clever turn of phrase at the end of his letter. That play of words around Canto-Pop, Paul Anka and Islamic tunes was very clever. It was the only bright spot in a cynical, self-serving letter which reveals some sad truths about non-Malay Malaysians.

Non-Malays are usually painted as unwilling victims of the government's racist policies. Yet, Temoc's letter clearly illustrates that to a big extent, they are architects of their own situation. And this goes back a long way, in fact way back to Merdeka, when the Chinese and Indians gladly grabbed the chance to share power without really having planted deep roots in this country.

Perhaps that first generation of non-Malays could be excused for paying lip-service to being 'Malayan' while busy building property in their 'homeland' in preparation for the day when they would 'go home'. They were mostly people who had been born and brought up elsewhere, had originally come here to make some money, and could not be expected to just drop their emotional attachment to their homelands.

But one wonders how history would have unfolded if 'pioneer' and subsequent non-Malay leaders had shown some guts and a bit of foresight and commitment to their adopted country's future instead of being seduced by the Tunku's charm to fall in line in a 'gotong-royong' spirit. Could they perhaps have insisted before Merdeka on more iron-clad constitutional guarantees for the future security and well-being of their coming generations? Later on, could they perhaps have been more firm in demanding fairness when policies were being formulated following May 13, 1969?

Could they perhaps have, on their own, shown some willingness and initiative to share the cake with their fellow Malay citizens instead of having a 'I'm-just-here-for-the-money' attitude, which did play an indirect role in the 1969 riots and the subsequent ill-advised New Economic Policy?

Manjit Bhatia hit the nail on the head when he said the non-Malays are largely good at letting off a lot of hot air and don't come through when they get the opportunity to make a change. Look at Machap. Look at what happened in the first general election after 1998. It is an accepted fact that in that election, the Malay voters did their part to try and effect change. It is the non-Malay voters who voted solidly for Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the BN.

No wonder the one thing Mahathir always says with great confidence - and with a cynical twinkle in his eye - is that the BN will win big again in the next election. He knows that even if the Malays turn against the BN, the non-Malays can always be relied on to rescue the ship.

In fact, there is a theory among certain people that there are sections of the non-Malay communities who do not want change. The theory goes that by keeping the troubled and reportedly corrupt BN in power, it will help destroy this 'Malay country' - a sort of 'revenge' for what has been done to the non-Malays.

Temoc bad-mouths Anwar, and says the non-Malays were not bothered about 'reformasi' because it was an internal Umno affair. Well, Umno runs this country. As a Singapore minister put it bluntly some years ago, the '... MCA is not in charge of Malaysia'. And neither is the MIC. They are both just window-dressing. So what happens in Umno is of crucial importance for all Malaysians.

Temoc says: 'Bhatia may not even be aware that Chinese Malaysians looked upon, and still do, Anwar Ibrahim and his so-called reformasi with cynicism, distrust and indeed disdain'. Well, rock on, buddy. Keep curling your lip up in disdain at the only person who offers the faintest hope of preventing your women from being regularly raped, robbed and killed, your young men from being mysteriously and regularly killed in police custody and 'encounters', and your children from having to desperately seek overseas universities to get their higher education.

It is not entirely accurate to say the non-Malays were not moved by reformasi. The Tian Chuas of the world were forged in that fire. There are many fine non-Malays who are committed and proud Malaysians, and putting their necks on the line for a better Malaysia. But not nearly enough. When the writ is dropped next, the majority of non-Malays will pee in their pants, and then march like lemmings to the ballot box and return Pak Lah and his merry men (and women) to power with a comfortable majority.

Thanks to the anonymity of the Internet, no one knows whose agenda writers like Temoc serve, or even whether he/she is a Malay or non-Malay. But we'll just take him/her at face value , and offer a word of advice: Don't shoot the messenger just because you don't have the balls to support the message.