A POLICE report was lodged recently by a society, of which the prime minister is the patron, against the Bar Council’s MyConstitution campaign. The society said the MyConstitution booklets were “seditious” because it explained how the constitution could be amended. But doesn’t the constitution expressly state that it can be amended? And since when did educating the public about the constitution constitute a crime?
Tang Ah Chai: Living through white terror
By Gan Pei Ling
TANG Ah Chai is a public intellectual and political commentator in the Chinese Malaysian community. Over the past few decades, the former deputy director of the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies has been actively involved in research relating to Chinese Malaysian history. He has written and edited Mandarin books on Yap Ah Loy, the founder […]
Let them eat cake!
Compiled by Nick Choo
WHILE celebrations of Merdeka Day seemed to be more muted than usual this year, conceptual artist Chi Too decided to mark the country’s independence with even less pomp and circumstance but no less significance. “It’s Merdeka, everyone wants a piece of cake” was the greeting on the Facebook page inviting Malaysians to participate in merdeka […]
The Nut Graph‘s 2010 Merdeka Awards
By The Nut Graph team
THIS month has been a particularly significant one for The Nut Graph team. It is not only Ramadan and the month of Merdeka. It also marks our two-year anniversary and the month when we transform our operations into Plan B. While there’s constantly new beginnings to look forward to, these moments give us pause to […]
Patrick Teoh: A still-unfulfilled Merdeka wish
By Ding Jo-Ann
WHEN Malaysians hear the name Patrick Teoh, it’s a voice, and not a face, that springs to mind. Teoh had no inkling when he landed his first radio job at Redifussion 45 years ago that he would go on to become one of Malaysia’s most recognisable voices. “People do say sometimes, ‘Patrick, your voice is […]
Being of Malaysian blood
By Deborah Loh
IN conjunction with Merdeka Day on 31 Aug and Malaysia Day on 16 Sept, BFM 89.9 is currently featuring a series of interviews called Bloodlines with prominent personalities about their ancestral heritage and their Malaysian identity. These conversations are with Malaysians The Nut Graph has interviewed for its Found in Malaysia series. These individuals are […]
Seditious Malaysia
By Ding Jo-Ann
KARPAL Singh. Lim Guan Eng. Raja Petra Kamaruddin. Wong Chin Huat. These individuals have all been arrested or charged under Malaysia’s draconian Sedition Act. The Act was passed in 1948, at the height of the British colonial government’s struggle against the communists. But more than 60 years later, the wide-ranging and subjective law is still being used, whenever it’s convenient, to silence political opponents.
Talking about retrenchment
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
S K WIGNESWARY was an executive at an established media organisation for more than nine years. One Monday, she went to work as usual. By that evening, she was out of a job. “The department head made an announcement at about 4pm that a list of names would be called out and our services would […]
Suhakam chief: “We’re an independent entity”
By Gan Pei Ling
TAN Sri Hasmy Agam was appointed the new Suhakam chief in June 2010. Previously, he was executive chairperson of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), and secretary-general of the United Nations Association of Malaysia. “I’m conscious of the fact that I’m no longer a civil servant. Now that I’m the chair[person] of Suhakam, […]
Who to trust in Selangor water battle?
By Deborah Loh
ALARM bells were rung recently about an impending water crisis in Selangor. The federal government blames the state government for delaying the Pahang-Selangor raw water transfer project by refusing to let building of the Langat 2 water treatment plant begin. The Barisan Nasional (BN) government says this will result in a water crisis as early […]
