WITH five decades under his belt as an actor, director, drama teacher, voice-over artiste and writer, Mano Maniam is best known as a local theatre and television veteran. But Mano, 65, is more than just about theatre. In many ways, he is a modern-day renaissance man. He has been a teacher and scholar at both […]
Archives for July 2010
The impact of polygamy in Malaysia
By Ding Jo-Ann
PETALING JAYA, 21 July 2010: A landmark study on polygamy in Malaysia has cast doubt on whether husbands in polygamous marriages are able to treat their wives and children equally as intoned by the Quran. The study, conducted by Sisters in Islam in collaboration with academics from several local universities, found that while almost 80% […]
Creating a purposeful Parliament
Guest Column by Jamie KhooONE thing is obvious from the answers of the Members of Parliament (MPs) who responded to The Nut Graph‘s MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project: more focus is given to their roles as constituency caretakers than as lawmakers. Not that it’s entirely the MPs’ fault. Part of the reason for this is the way the […]
Who wants PAS-Umno unity?
By Gan Pei LingUnity talks between Umno and PAS seem to have been revived recently. But who are the ones behind it?
What’s missing in Selangor’s FOI law
Guest Column by Sonia Randhawa
EVEN as the Selangor government is being lauded for introducing freedom of information (FOI) legislation in the state, much is lacking in the Pakatan Rakyat-led government’s enactment. Indeed, the Selangor government may be shortchanging citizens in the state with its version of FOI. There are two reasons why access to information is a vital right […]
Corporatising JHEOA: Its impact on indigenous rights
By Deborah Loh
PETALING JAYA, 20 July 2010: A proposed move to corporatise the Orang Asli Affairs Department, known by its Malay acronym JHEOA, to take charge of land development for the Orang Asli will impoverish the indigenous peoples. Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) coordinator Dr Colin Nicholas said corporatisation was likely to be among the amendments […]
The plastic menace
As If Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
PENANG was the first to launch the No Plastic Bag Day campaign in July 2009. Selangor launched its own campaign after that. Subsequently, the Miri and Sibu municipal councils in Sarawak, as well as Kota Kinabalu city hall and six other districts in Sabah announced similar campaigns.
How effective are these campaigns? Can they really help save the planet? And what can be done to make these campaigns more popular?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Who makes a better opposition?
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE last general election birthed a situation that was not common before 2008: the Barisan Nasional (BN) functioning as an opposition. Although the BN has been the opposition in Kelantan for many years, it was a completely new experience for them in Selangor, Penang, Perak and Kedah. Indeed, the blanket term “opposition” previously used to […]
Should the subordinate courts have more power?
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
WHY has there been such a furore over the government’s amendment of the Subordinate Courts Act? And why should the public care that the Act has been amended? As a result of Parliament passing the amendment, the Sessions Court can now hear civil cases worth up to RM1 million while the Magistrates Court cases worth […]
Reviewing the NEP: Who should know better?
By Deborah LohCONFLICTING statements on the New Economic Policy (NEP) from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, CIMB chief executive officer Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, and Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali. Nazir has frequently called for a review of the NEP; Najib has made about-turns on the issue of abolishing the policy, while Ibrahim wants it retained.
