I read with a mixture of annoyance and amusement your 'special report' article called Gurkha guards - a security threat? , where it was insinuated that the Gurkhas could very well turn out to be spies for Nepal.

On one hand, the Security Services Association of Malaysia (SSAM) president Rahmat Ismail was quoted as saying that not much is known about these ex-Nepalese army personnel, and that they could be spies.

But in the next breath, he admitted that the number of Nepalese security guards is on the rise as they are known to be "diligent, disciplined and honest workers". So, there you have the answer on why some people prefer to hire Gurkha guards. Having locals as guards has not proven to be a superior move, as seen in the recent RM4 million heist involving LCD panels from KLIA.

However, I am more concerned over the overall xenophobic tone of the article. Following the logic behind the arguments, does it mean that the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians working in Singapore (arguably one of the most security-conscious nation in the world) are spies?

In a globalised world, labour will flow freely across borders, usually in response to marketplace push and pull factors. Do you know how many Malaysians end up being cops and security guards in Singapore, all because of better pay?

Your writer also missed a crucial point: Gurkha guards can speak English, while not many of our local guards can. This is the same reason why Filipino maids can command a salary nearly twice that of Indonesian maids anywhere in the world.

I say having a bunch of incompetent local guards at our important facilities represents a more serious and immediate threat as they can easily be bought off or deceived. What Malaysia needs is professionalism in the security industry, and this is something that your article failed to address.

If only the Gurkhas can deliver at this point, so be it. They don't earn their RM1,000 plus salary for nothing. Who knows, if KLIA uses a detachment of Gurkha guards, maybe the crime rate inside the facility will drop.