I REFER to Mary Tan's letter, "It's a handicap when there is no neighbourly
                  love" (The Star, Sept 9).

                  Mary, I am sorry to hear that your neighbours are being mean to you.
                  Patriotism is not well accepted by all people, especially if you do not support a
                  particular political party.

                  Hold your head up high and be proud of who you are; and who you support
                  because this is your basic right, because for all that it is worth, Malaysia is still
                  a peaceful country.

                  Just listen to the news and read the newspapers. A day does not go by that we
                  do not hear countries torn apart by political unrest.

                  This is the taste of independence and we need to maintain this for our children
                  and future generations, so that they can enjoy the peace that we are enjoying
                  right now.

                  The power of one--that's you Mary. Many people would have given up hope and
                  felt sorry for themselves, but you persevered.

                  You must not lose sight of your achievements and your goals for the future.

                  In a few months, we will greet the new millennium. You and I will be lucky
                  enough to be part of this celebration.

                  I must say the few neighbours and family members who do not love, there are
                  lots of other people who care and love you.

                  I am sure your dog loves you very much, too. As a matter of fact, I love you too!

                  It hurts when love does not come easy, but hang on and try not to feel too sad.

                 From CLAIRE THAMBU, Kuala Lumpur (via e-mail)