SOME countries move from relatively democratic systems to more authoritarian ones such as Malaysia in the 1970s. Others from authoritarianism toward democracy. What can the experiences of these other countries tell us about where we go from GE13? And what choices lie ahead of those who want change?

THE phenomenon of indigenous women like the Penan being violated is not peculiar to Malaysia. Indeed, there are parallels in other countries, including a developed nation like the US. In their 2007 report, Maze of Injustice: The failure to protect indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA, Amnesty International (AI) reported that indigenous women [...]

Colin Nicholas PETALING JAYA, 4 May 2010: The Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) has been involved in the Islamisation of Orang Asli for decades, said Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Dr Colin Nicholas. “One of JHEOA‘s main objective is to convert Orang Asli to Islam. They don’t say it openly but their budget [...]

“We open our ears to whatever grouses the public, in particular the Orang Asli, have. If anyone says we are depriving them, we are neglecting them, that’s not true.” RURAL and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, speaking to reporters after receiving a memorandum from the Orang Asli protesting proposed changes to the [...]

Corrected at 12.50pm, 22 April 2010 Members of the Orang Asli community in Kampung Chang, Bidor, protesting for their land rights (File pic) “TANAH kami, maruah kami,” said banners at an Orang Asli protest in Putrajaya recently against changes to the policy affecting their land rights. Just three months ago, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri [...]

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 Mar 2010: A hospital set up by the British to serve the Orang Asli in Gombak is not fulfilling its objectives in part because most of its patients are non-Orang Asli. Dr Selva Vathany Kanapathi Pillai, recently transferred out of the hospital after publicly voicing her concerns, told The Nut Graph that [...]