What I think
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MAY 13 — You know what today is, right? Today is Monday and we have to go to work. We’ll have lunch, tea and dinner and the few mad ones will have a drink after work, play pool or … Read More
Regional Correspondents
Au Revoir NYC, Bonjour Paris!
PARIS, May 10 — I have read it is every Parisian's dream to live in New York City. Equally, most New Yorkers I know have a penchant for anything … Read More
Opinion
Can’t wait for next season!
MAY 18 — With Manchester United winning the English Premier League title a few weeks in advance (shame on you Manchester City and Chelsea for not … Read More
Side Views
MoreAffordable housing: Political rhetoric or serious solution? — Khairul Anuar Shaharudin
MAY 18 — As the dust of GE13 settles, maybe the rakyat should start planning for what to demand before GE14. I suggest all politicians from our newly-minted two-party system start … Read More
Doing ‘congak’ on transformational Cabinet — A. Kadir Jasin
MAY 18 — When I came across a Star newspaper report of May 16 headlined “A well-balanced Cabinet of 32 ministers” my brain went into rewind mode, taking me back to my Malay school … Read More
GE13: We are already the winners! — M.M. Pereira
MAY 18 — A few days before the historic 505, the then caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said: “The victor or loser of this 13th general election will not be BN or … Read More
New Cabinet, new expectations — Lim Mun Fah
MAY 18 — With a popular vote less than 50 per cent of the total cast and the refusal of two component parties, the MCA and Gerakan, to join the Cabinet, Prime Minister Datuk Seri … Read More
Dear Home Minister — A ready migrant
MAY 17 — In view of new the new Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s first day on the job and his very first questionable advise or more like a ‘recommendation’ to those … Read More
Low better up the anti-graft fight — The Malaysian Insider
MAY 17 — There is much more that is expected from Transparency International (TI) chief Datuk Paul Low now that he is a minister in the Najib administration. That Malaysia’s … Read More
Stop the racist politics of suspicion and hate — Koon Yew Yin
MAY 17 — Even before the elections took place, various Umno leaders led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Utusan Malaysia have led the onslaught against the Chinese in the country. … Read More
New Cabinet shoulders heavy responsibilities — Lim Sue Goan
MAY 17 — If the new Cabinet is the engine of national transformation, I’m afraid that it might face some obstacles due to the lack of several conditions. The biggest surprise of … Read More
The day after: Where was God? — Bob Teoh
MAY 17 — My daughter rang me from Sydney first thing on May 6, the day after the ruling coalition was nearly swept out of power, to wish me happy birthday. “Are you disappointed,” … Read More
Election petitions: The standard of proof — Art Harun (loyarburok.com)
MAY 17 — The point which I have been trying to make over the last few days is this — if we want to challenge the GE results, we must present evidence/reasons which can satisfy … Read More
Najib’s team — Tay Tian Yan
MAY 17 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Cabinet team was put together with the objective of inheriting the previous administration’s work while carrying out some remedial work for … Read More
Cabinet ministers and spin — The Malaysian Insider
MAY 17 — The new Cabinet is not even 48 hours old and one can already see some of them sketching out an alternative reality of Malaysia. In the last 10 days, the new Youth and … Read More
For many, the shoebox fits — Richard Hartung
MAY 17 — Even as criticism of “shoebox” condominiums continues unabated in Singapore and the number of such homes on the market here may have started to drop, the trend is heading … Read More
Almost as good as individual tutoring — K. Ranga Krishnan
MAY 17 — Singapore is a nation where coaching and tuition are part and parcel of a child’s education. There are more than 500 tuition centres and Singaporeans reportedly spend … Read More
Where are Malaysia’s ‘binders full of women’? — Boo Su-Lyn
MAY 17 — Unlike Mitt Romney, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak clearly did not have “binders full of women” to choose from when he appointed just two women ministers in the … Read More
All Our Columnists
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In the wake of the Boston Marathon
APRIL 23 — This week in America has been a particularly traumatic one. The hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers sent Boston into an emergency lockdown: the Boston Marathon bombing … Read More
Can’t wait for next season!
MAY 18 — With Manchester United winning the English Premier League title a few weeks in advance (shame on you Manchester City and Chelsea for not putting up a better fight!), the … Read More
- When pop infiltrates underground metal
- Political films you may have missed
- Auteurist TV — the new frontier
What we dream of
JAN 3 — Dare we Malaysians dream that in 2012: • Bersih 2.0’s eight demands will be implemented before Parliament is dissolved. • the run-up to the elections will bring out the … Read More
Suka hati Cina lah dia nak undi siapapun
13 MEI — Satu keindahan demokrasi adalah pemilihan pemimpin melalui sistem pilihan raya. Melalui pilihan raya, rakyat bebas untuk memilih mana-mana parti atau calon, tidak kira … Read More
Ronaldo and Falcao aim for cup glory
MAY 17 — With the majority of Europe’s football silverware already dished out, one of the remaining major domestic trophies will be up for grabs tonight when Real Madrid and … Read More
What can one man do?
MAY 23 — I ask myself that question because in the recent turn of events — the butt exercise exhibition, pelting of eggs and another Bersih 4.0 to clean all previous Bersih(s) — I … Read More
The other side of criticism
AUG 21 — Each time the Olympic Games roll around, no matter where they happen, they form the centre stage for greatness as people worldwide watch with bated breath as records are … Read More
Ferry tragedy hits close to home
Oct 7 — This year’s National Day will forever be etched in the memories of Hong Kongers. As revellers watched the annual fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on Monday night, … Read More
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Wanita, kerjaya dan rumahtangga
16 OKT — “Tahniah Puan Melisa, anda diterima untuk menyertai kursus yang kami anjurkan di Australia minggu hadapan,” kata Encik Zulkifli, Ketua Jabatan Melisa. Melisa sangat … Read More
Everybody don’t move!
MAY 16 — I haven’t written in a while and I was sorely tempted to join in the torrent of columns and opinions discussing the exciting and tumultuous developments prior, during and … Read More
How to buy a book… or not!
JAN 6 ― The recent Big Bad Wolf book sale was awesome. As expected. With three million books on sale, it’s no wonder I was spoiled for choice. Alas, you can’t always get what … Read More
A necessary conversation
MAY 5 — Being out of KL even for a few days provides for greater clarity. May 5 was just less than 48 hours away, and thanks to budget airlines, one can come back home for a few … Read More
Siapa yang lebih baik?
19 OKT — Setiap ucapan punya konteks dan latar-belakangnya tersendiri termasuklah apa yang diucapkan oleh Datuk Husam dalam perbahasannya dalam penggulungan Belanjawaan Kelantan … Read More
- Umno-BN terdesak menamatkan sistem kronisme AP penjualan CPO?
- Zahid Hamidi must be fired!
- TPM wajib baca pendedahan hutang Talam
Why blaming tech, social media is pointless
MARCH 26 — The blame game has started... again. Last week, The Malaysian Insider reported that Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said the Internet … Read More
- Education is key to mitigating online ills
- Where on the Net are your kids?
- Parents should wake up to the impact of a Facebook generation
The time for raging has passed
MAY 15 ― Help! The armchair political analysts have staged a hostile takeover of my social media feeds. The nation, I think, needs a break from thinking about the last general … Read More
- Don’t blame the East Malaysians for your mistakes
- Sabah 2013: Where everyone’s a loser
- Sabah 2013: Opposition making same mistakes
Teamwork is the only key to success
NOV 20 — I am a loyal fan of my local football team. It was officially founded around 60 years back and has undergone a lot of transformation. It has progressed quite remarkably … Read More
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The Lee Chong Wei Effect
AUG 8 ― Last Sunday, for the first time in my life, I literally bit my nails. I paced around my living room, I jumped up and down, I cheered and groaned, and finally, at the … Read More
Undemocratic Kuala Lumpur
APRIL 24 ― Life in Kuala Lumpur in the past few weeks has been a constant reminder of our flawed democracy. If you are in the city, look all around you. You will see banners and … Read More
St Patrick’s Day in Manhattan: A celebration
MARCH 25 — On a balmy Saturday morning, the streets of Manhattan teemed with St Patrick’s Day revellers in their thousands, decked out in shamrock green colours ready for the … Read More
Symptoms of a deeper ill
JAN 18 — Recently, a YouTube video about a forum held in a university went viral. This particular forum has now been dubbed the “Listen listen listen forum”, with many versions of … Read More
- Will PR become the proverbial rabbit?
- Apathy, crime and feeling safe
- Yes, Prime Minister, we need answers!
‘Sarawakian first, Malaysian after equality’
SEPT 16 — It isn’t easy to be in the forefront of a controversial home-grown campaign to stop the 12 mega-dams from being built in Sarawak. After all, you would have to stand up … Read More
Stop with the violence already
APRIL 29 — Malaysians need to respect those with different opinions. Democracy is about having a multitude of ideas that doesn’t necessarily agree with one another. And instead of … Read More
A smaller victory for BN, a bigger one for Malaysian democracy
MAY 7 — A system which results in an 80 per cent turnout, where there are no more fixed deposits, where there is a healthy opposition voice in practically all the states and where … Read More
Are you a closet racist?
MAY 8 ― On Sunday night, a Chinese friend tweeted: “Why are Malays so anti-Chinese? What did we ever do to you guys?” Dear friend, I have no idea how to answer that. I don’t … Read More
- Alas, I think too much about books
- It’s a terrible, terrible world
- Fasihkah kita berbahasa ibunda kita?
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To sign or not to sign
MARCH 4 — That was a decision I was forced to make one early morning at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. “I’m not signing. The hospital can go f**k itself!” My husband’s mind … Read More
Ubahlah cara berkempen
28 APRIL — Hari ini, 28 April…genaplah lapan hari tempoh berkempen untuk parti-parti politik sempena Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13. Ini bermakna tinggal tujuh hari sahaja lagi semua … Read More
Borak-borak kosong tentang pilihanraya
12 MEI — Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 ( PRU 13 ) baru saja berlalu, keputusannya umum rakyat Malaysia sudah tahu. Ada yang suka, ada yang tidak suka, bagi saya itu lumrah dalam … Read More
- Nilai intelektual dalam karya-karya Doel Sumbang
- Herman Tino: Antara seni dan politik
- Bob Marley, Peter Tosh dan musik reggae
An angel in waiting
JULY 24 — The first time I walked through the back door of a hotel, I was 15 years old and I walked in with visions of romance and glamour… I still have those visions today as … Read More
We have won!
MAY 7 — Dear Malaysia, Believe you me, on May 5 we saw democracy at its best. We saw the rakyat coming out in monumental numbers, far exceeding the turnouts of more advanced … Read More
Kalimah Allah muncul lagi
30 DIS — Apa pun yang diperkatakan oleh orang ramai tentang mengganti kalimah Allah dengan God atau Tuhan untuk kegunaan orang Kristian menunjukkan keagungan kalimah Allah ini. … Read More
The limits of divide and rule
NOV 5 — It was inevitable. After feeling increasingly impotent in the face of Umno’s racial rhetoric, the MCA followed the example of its “big brother” by taking a strong, … Read More
BN on trial
MAY 16 — BN is experiencing a taste of its own medicine, possibly for five straight years more, and the coalition may expire at the end of it. Because at the end of the term, the … Read More
- Post-GE13: Where do we go from here?
- Speak up or face the boot
- GE13: Count the seats not the rhetoric
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My personal journey to Sisters in Islam
APRIL 5 — I come from a modern middle-class family and, like most Malays, my religious identity is inextricably intertwined with the cultural traditions and rituals that were … Read More
Ombak Hairan dalam?
21 APRIL — Filem “Ombak Rindu” telah lama ditayangkan (lebih kurang 5 bulan yang lepas), namun kerana kesibukan kehidupan seharian bekerja dan berkeluarga, saya tidak dapat … Read More
A new rainbow nation
MAY 13 — Can early ethnic inequality lead to institutionalised injustice later, and eventually result in an overall unbalance for a melting pot country? When foreigners look at … Read More
Learning how to ask for help
MARCH 25 — After a week and a half of being held prisoner, I was desperate for a night out. So desperate, I was even looking forward to dressing up for the evening. I knew that … Read More
- We did it once… we are going to do it again!
- Why should I care about 1 Care?
- What is your skin colour worth?
I am tired…
MARCH 28 — I am tired of Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp’s perceived greatness. I am tired of watching Spurs bumbling and fumbling their season away. I am tired of Spur’s … Read More
- Simple and effective Spanish masterclass
- Spanish missing class, as Germans miss the boat
- Gallant show, poor tactics
Cina bukanlah MCA dan DAP saja
15 MEI ― Harga MCA sudah amat jatuh. Yang naik melangit ialah harga DAP. Maruah MCA sudah boleh dikatakan tidak ada lagi. Maruah yang tinggal hanya kesediaannya menerima … Read More
Eight reasons why books should not be banned
JUNE 24 — On Monday, June 25, 2012, Sisters in Islam (SIS) will be in court again. This time around, the Government of Malaysia is appealing a High Court decision that lifted the … Read More
A democracy fiesta
APRIL 30 — The nation waits anxiously for May 5. It is going to be the mother of all elections. The day where support is translated into votes, winners get to be office-bearers … Read More
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In response to ‘Innocence of Muslims’
OCT 2 — There has been quite a brouhaha in response to the “Innocence of Muslims” video made by some bigoted individual in America. There were demonstrations in much of the Muslim … Read More
The will to vote
MAY 3 — In recent articles, I wrote about how I applied to become a postal voter. It was done at the very last minute, on the day Parliament was dissolved, as I was not sure of … Read More
‘Amaran’ kepada Pakatan Rakyat
14 MEI — Para pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat (PR), salam sejahtera. Saya tidak menyokong mana-mana parti politik dan saya bukan ahli mana-mana parti politik. Saya juga tidak berminat … Read More
Can art and art education flourish without race?
SEPT 16 — Segaris Art Center is a new art gallery in Kuala Lumpur. This establishment, a subsidiary of UiTM Holdings, is the first showcase for all the fine art graduates from … Read More
- Art decentralised: The Open Art Show
- Art and a sense of equality
- Sultan Street: A look at its changing character
Appreciating my education
MAY 14 — My family’s valuation of education as a path to success has been ingrained in me from Day One. My sister is an ASEAN scholar at NUS, and my brother graduated with … Read More
Dignity is under-rated
MAY 29 — I must have been 16 when Sister Anne, our student counsellor, asked me to participate in a public-speaking competition. Every government-run school in Kuala Lumpur had … Read More
A policy impasse
APRIL 8 — It is entirely appropriate that the prevailing colour of Barisan Nasional’s 2013 manifesto is white. From the disingenuous copywriting of the preamble to the jumble of … Read More
- Use of Sedition Act is wrong
- The political chemistry of Lynas
- Preventing the next Lynas or Raub mine
The MILF-PRON GE13 post-mortem analysis: We were saved!
MAY 10 — Now that the 13th general election is over, and the winners and losers have been declared, the Malaysian Institute of Learning Foundation for Political Research On … Read More
- If you’re a Muslim, and you’re gay…
- MILF-PRON Special Report for 2011: Malays under threat — Part 2
- MILF-PRON Special Report for 2011: Malays under threat
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It doesn’t matter anymore
APRIL 3 ― If the prime minister’s strategy is to wear everyone down by keeping the whole country in constant anticipation of an election “around the corner”, then he has at … Read More
Serve all races
MAY 17 — Yesterday, I got back from a working trip to Jakarta and in the taxi from KLIA, the driver started chatting with me about the recent general election. And just for … Read More
Jakarta, aku rindu pada mu
3 OGOS — Jakarta, sudah hampir sepuluh tahun aku meninggalkan kota itu, kota yang pernah aku panggil rumah. Sememangnya aku dilahirkan dan dibesarkan di Kota Baru, Kelantan dan … Read More
Sekolah, universiti dan masa hadapan pendidikan
1 MAC — Saya percaya pendidikan sifatnya dinamik. Zaman dahulu sebelum sekolah wujud, manusia menuntut ilmu dengan mengembara dan berguru kepada bijak pandai dari satu tempat ke … Read More
- Jangan baca kisah Samer Al Issawi ini
- Aaron Swartz dan tragedi kepada masa hadapan
- Pathei Mathos, penswastaan air dan mentaliti kelas ketiga
Melayu luar bandar, berubahlah!
27 MAC ― Di mana-mana cakap sana-sini berkisar tentang pilihanraya; bila akan diadakan dan siapa yang akan muncul pemenang menjadi pertanyaan paling popular. Berbagai andaian … Read More
There is no easy cure for cancer
MARCH 15 — A friend’s mother was diagnosed with Stage III cancer recently, and together with the commiserations came introductions to “Islamic treatments” and various types of … Read More
Recent
- Dua lelaki termasuk anggota polis cedera ditetak di balai polis
- Bekala air berkurang, kapasiti pengeluaran loji rawatan air capai tahap maksimum
- Khairy akan siasat kehadiran bookie di stadium bola sepak KL
- Melayu dan bumiputera kini mampu libatkan diri dalam pelaburan ekuiti — Shahrir
- Karpal Singh: Dewan Negara tidak diperlukan
