“Don’t just look to our country only. See our neighbours or other countries. They too have laws more or less like ours or more stricter [sic].” Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, commenting on the need to retain the Internal Security Act (ISA), to “ensure economic and political stability”. He suggested that the Act […]
Clamping down on students
By Zedeck SiewSPEAKING at the Muslim Students Leadership Convention on 26 July 2009, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he wanted “to see student leaders with dynamic and healthy minds in terms of airing views and opinions”. “I just hope that you can uphold the principle of intellectual honesty in assessing and scrutinising certain issues which […]
Confusing party with government
By Shanon ShahTan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh WHEN Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh was Dewan Negara president, the upper house of parliament started regaining just a little bit of its clout as a check and balance to executive power. In 2005, for example, senators resisted just being a rubber stamp for the controversial amendments to […]
Kosmo!‘s offence
By Jacqueline Ann SurinTHE media are at it again. Sensationalising the news, reporting inaccurately and unfairly, and worst of all, having no regard for the personal damage a report may have on a party. The latest of irresponsible and unethical reporting was in Kosmo!‘s 27 July 2009 edition that front-paged celebrated filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad who passed away from […]
Checking power in Malaysia
By Shanon ShahTan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh TAN Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has had an interesting career in Malaysian politics. An Umno member, he was Member of Parliament (MP), first for the Arau seat in the 1980s, and then for the Kangar seat in 1999. The 1944-born medical graduate was appointed Deputy Speaker of the […]
Fighting crime
By Zedeck SiewVandalised sign in Kuala Lumpur warning readers against becoming the next snatch theft victim (© Kubhaer Jethwani / Flickr) ONE night in April 2009, Hazwan Haili was out for drinks with friends in the Masjid India area of downtown Kuala Lumpur. “As I was walking back to my car I was rushed by two guys […]
Unity needs empathy
By Deborah LohRACE and 1Malaysia have occupied my thoughts in the last few weeks. It can’t be helped, given the articles I’ve had to write on both subjects of late. I’ve almost reached saturation point listening to people debate the meaning of 1Malaysia. Last Friday, 24 July, I attended a forum where a small group of academics, […]
Checking George Washington’s nose
By Claire BrownellAS a child, Animah Kosai used to tell strangers she was from Siberia. They would pat her on the head, call her cute and ask her where she was from because of the light skin she inherited from her English mother. “I’d talk about this wonderful story about how my father was in Japan, and […]
Thank you, Dr Mahathir
By Wong Chin HuatI WAS not disturbed at all by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad‘s recent communalist remarks that Malay Malaysians have been marginalised after sharing the country with “outsiders”. While I applaud the powerful critiques by the likes of Dr Toh Kin Woon, I do not share the anger and disappointment many Malaysians feel. I certainly do not […]
Flipping on whipping
By Shanon Shah“The punishment must be more educational rather than causing hurt to a woman to make her reform… So far nobody, not even a male, has been whipped under the Syariah in Malaysia.” PAS central working committee member and Titiwangsa Member of Parliament Dr Lo’ Lo Mohamad Ghazali, on the Kuantan Syariah Court’s whipping sentence on […]
