COMMENT | Apparently, the only reason I can get away with criticising both Malays and Muslims is that I am Malay and Muslim myself. This is what many non-Malays and non-Muslims in Malaysia tell me. They say that it is my position of privilege that allows me to say what I say and not get in trouble.

Okay, I have to admit that what they say has truth in it. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that this is the situation in Malaysia.

Why can’t we, as Malaysians, criticise our fellow Malaysians constructively and positively without fear of backlash and accusations of racism? Why are Malaysians always so defensive when it comes to race and religion?