I refer to the letter Giving us dignity was the last thing on Dr M's mind by 'Dignified' which is reply to an earlier letter of mine.

If 'Dignified' had read the context of my letter properly, he or she would have seen that I was referring to national pride and dignity, not personal dignity. And whilst we are at it, consider he or she should consider him or herself lucky that he or she got not just a job, but a 'managerial job' immediately upon 'coming home'.

I am a bumiputera and me and my sisters and brothers are still paying back the loans we took for our children's education, houses and cars. We had friends who fared less better than us in their studies yet got admitted to local universities through connections whilst we didn't get a place.

We did not complain. Hey, tell me where in this world does this not happen?

I was educated at Convent Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur and certainly there was no lack of mixed communities then. Today, my daughter goes to the same school and she brings back school friends from all communities.

As for our sons' and daughters' education, there are no lack of excellent private higher educational institutions and international universities in this country. Even foreigners send their children to study here.

The writer refers to the coffee money but again, tell me where in this world can you guarantee that this will not happen? It is a disease that can be a way of life in such countries as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. It can even happen in developed countries like the US and Britain. I am not saying that it should be excused.

Everyday we have politicians, NGOs and prominent citizens of Malaysia raising these issues of bribery and corruption. We have had arrests of prominent politicians, high-ranking government officials, top businessmen, cops and of the ordinary man. It may not be enough and it never will be enough. But the fact is, it is not tolerated in this country.

Our government does funds sportsmen and sportswomen and it does what it can to encourage them. If they have failed, one can't say they had had no backing. And what about those personally backed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad? Azhar Mansor, who sailed solo around the world, M Magendran and N Mohandas who conquered Mt Everest and Abdul Malik Mydin who crossed the English channel all brought national dignity.

I have a Proton as my second car and drive it with national pride right next to the 'nasi lemak' seller who owns a Waja. Nobody forces you to buy those cars with horribly inflated prices. And try buying one in Singapore.

The point is, it's all about appreciating your country and doing what we can to improve it. We don't see beggars, women with infants pleading for crumbs or children wiping your windscreen for a few coins in the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

We don't have devastating natural disasters, we don't have cops shooting down demonstrators, we don't have political coups or assassinations, and we can all vote! Aren't we all blessed?