HOW many non-Muslims do you know who fast during Ramadan? And why would they? So far, I’ve found two non-Muslims who are conscientiously fasting the whole of Ramadan. Of these two, one fasts the Muslim way, eating only at sahur and iftar in accordance with the Muslim prayer times. The other doesn’t follow the fasting […]

THE “Allah” controversy and subsequent arson attacks on churches are making local and international headlines, casting a dark pall on Malaysia. In the face of this discord, a group of young people banded together in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 9 Jan 2010, to spread a message of hope. They held placards that read “Everything’s gonna […]

PARTICIPANTS of the 28 Aug 2009 cow-head protest claim that a Hindu temple cannot be built in a Muslim-majority area as this would affect the way they function as Muslims. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was even labelled a “traitor to the Malay race and Islam” because of the state government’s proposal to […]

The writer (right) distributing leaflets while on a walkabout in Permatang Pasir (Pic courtesy of Boon Kia Meng) MUCH has been said and countless analyses have been made since PAS beat Umno in the recent Permatang Pasir by-election by a majority of 4,551 votes. Statistics and results can often be used to spin different narratives […]

RECENT public demonstrations like the anti/pro-Internal Security Act (ISA) rallies and others have publicly defied the ruling for police permits. Police permits are seen as going against Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 by the United Nations general assembly. Article 20 states that “everyone has the right to freedom […]

A class successfully avoided (©Tiffany Szerpicki / sxc.hu) AS a teacher, I can tell you that students can and will find any excuse under the sky in order to escape classes, and to not study. What is odd for me is that in Malaysia, there are also politicians, political activists, ideologues and public commentators who […]