WHAT’S wrong with a Muslim saying that religious pluralism is harmful to Muslims? Or for a believer of any faith to say that his or her religion is the true one? Or even for an atheist to be adamant that there is no God? Nothing. As personal statements of belief, most persons of faith would […]
Archives for February 2011
BN and the internet: Suppression or engagement?
By Nick ChooPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently said the government would not suppress cyberspace but instead engage this global change. But how do we square his remarks with the government’s plans to extend the PPPA’s reach online, and their other verbal attacks on internet expression?
Forests in Selangor under threat
As If Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
THERE was much cause for celebration when Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman announced on 16 Feb 2011 that the plan to build a 30 megawatt coal plant in the state’s pristine east coast had been scrapped. Instead, the government is now considering gas and other cleaner energy options like biomass. Activists, particularly those […]
Local council incompetence — whose fault?
Ampersand by KW Mak
IN my previous column, I had presented two scenarios of how people interpret the law; with one viewpoint from the public and the other from the local council. Indeed, many people have complained about the inefficiencies of local government and the lack of coherence in how things are done, causing a few to disregard due […]
Speaking up for Arts-Ed
By Natasha Khanum
THE idea that all us are out to “hina Melayu” is so last decade. By blaming Arts-Ed for bringing out “isu perkauman”, the Gabungan Bela Hak Insan has stooped really low in order to spread its own political ideologies. According to the Gabungan, they were “merely pointing out errors” in the My Balik Pulau newsletter […]
“Thorough- bred Malaysian”
By Gan Pei Ling
Lawyer. Activist. Trainer. Loyarburokker. Edmund Bon wears many hats in his quest to champion human rights. Bon is currently the Bar Council’s constitutional law committee chairperson. This is the committee that, since 2009, has been running the MyConstitution campaign to popularise the federal constitution among Malaysians. Bon and his contemporaries — Amer Hamzah Arshad, K […]
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Lessons from Egypt for Malaysia
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE Egypt protests have dominated prime-time news for over two weeks now. After 30 years in power and initially refusing to accede to protestors‘ demands for him to leave, President Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 Feb 2011 after 18 days of nationwide demonstrations. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned Malaysians that demonstrations would […]
Siapa Melayu?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF it is true that Malay-rights group Perkasa was able to sabotage the government’s New Economic Model, hence obstructing much-needed reforms for the nation, what is this telling us? It tells us that if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is so easily held ransom by right-wing race-based groups, it is not fit to govern multiracial […]
Nasihat tentang Hari Kekasih
Secubit Garam oleh Shanon Shah
KEPADA sesiapa yang tergedik-gedik mahu berdating, bermesra dan berdua-duaan sempena Hari Kekasih ini, baca dulu nasihat terbaru kolumnis pujaan ramai, Kak Nora: Assalamualaikum K.No! (Kalau Amerika boleh ada J.Lo, kenapa Malaysia tak boleh ada K.No? Kan kan kan?) Kak, sebenarnya di sebalik gurauan mesra ini, saya amatlah takut sekarang. Baru-baru ini, saya telah berkenalan dengan […]
Regulating the internet: What’s BN afraid of?
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
CAN the Malaysian government actually be thinking of imposing more controls on our already overly-regulated right to freedom of expression? There’s a myriad of laws available to arrest, charge, fine and jail Malaysians for speaking their minds in ways the government disapproves of. But apparently, these controls are still not enough. On 24 Jan 2011 […]
