DATUK Seri Azalina Othman Said is no stranger to Malaysians. The lawyer and former television personality burst onto the political scene in her thirties when she was appointed to sit on the Umno supreme council by then president and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Azalina has held various positions within Umno, including vice-president and Puteri […]
How art gets made
Compiled by Ding Jo-Ann
HOW does art get made? The finished product is all many of us see, but what goes on in private in an artist’s studio? What do they struggle with? What do their creative processes look like? In January 2010, RogueArt exhibited artworks from a project titled WORK, which provided a glimpse into the creative worlds […]
Has Nazri always been “civil to the opposition”?
By Ding Jo-Ann
DATUK Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz is being hailed as a hero in some quarters for his “Malaysian first, Malay second” remarks in an open letter responding to Utusan Malaysia’s Awang Selamat. The minister in the prime minister’s department also said that “being civil to the opposition is the right thing to do in a democracy” as they are also elected by the people. But has Nazri always been civil to the opposition?
Holding IOI accountable
By Gan Pei Ling
THE indigenous peoples in Long Teran Kanan, Sarawak have been engaged in a legal battle with an oil palm plantation over their native customary land for more than a decade. In 1996, Rinwood Pelita Plantation, a joint venture between Rinwood and Sarawak’s Land Custody and Development Authority, bulldozed everything on the community’s land. Outraged, the […]
The making of Ibrahim Ali
By Deborah Loh
WHATEVER you may think about him, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali is found in Malaysia, too. The Nut Graph gets a glimpse into what shaped this combative right-wing politician during an interview in his Kuala Lumpur office on 10 Aug 2010. Ibrahim, who is also independent Member of Parliament for Pasir Mas, talks about the […]
To brand or not to brand?
Ampersand by KW Mak
SELANGOR Speaker Teng Chang Kim recently got some flak for the placement of his name on park facilities. A news report focused on the DAP politician alone, even though other politicians from both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat also imprint their names on public amenities. This left the impression that the news article […]
Threatening the turtles
As If Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
WHEN a friend said he wanted a photo of himself riding on a sea turtle’s back, it made me flinch. And yet, I doubt I would have winced had I not heard stories about how divers and snorkelers have disturbed and distressed turtles in the sea. If not for my marine-biologist friends, I probably would […]
MCA speaks loudly, but will anybody listen?
By Deborah Loh
IN the almost six months since being elected MCA president following bitter infighting, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has marshalled the party rank-and-file to begin reclaiming the Chinese Malaysian vote. How is he attempting to do this? Chua believes that a more outspoken MCA, which shows it won’t cower under Umno’s shadow, is one […]
Soi Lek on managing Malaysia
By Deborah Loh
IN the first part of his interview with The Nut Graph, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek spoke about the need for the MCA to be more assertive in voicing the concerns of Chinese Malaysians. But the things the MCA supports – a secular state, a liberalised economy – puts it at odds […]
What made Zaid change his mind?
By Ding Jo-Ann
WHAT political game is Datuk Zaid Ibrahim playing? In May 2010, he announced that he had no intention of running for a leadership position in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and wanted to “focus on strengthening Pakatan Rakyat”. He reiterated that message in August. The PKR supreme council member has now announced he will contest a position. What made him change his mind?
