MALAYSIANS are constantly reminded of our social contract. As the story goes, some time before 1957, founding leaders from three communities (only three, no others) signed up to this arrangement on how we ought to live together in this land previously known as Tanah Melayu. The terms of the arrangement were simple enough: Malays get […]
Columns
Achievable resolutions
By Yasmin Masidi(Pic by Elvinstar / Dreamstime) HERE we are, just past the cusp of 2010, when parts of the world that observe 1 Jan list New Year hopes both fanciful and pragmatic. It’s always a useful exercise to do both, and to think about just why it is that one writes off a wish as “unrealistic”. […]
How rude!
By Nick Choo(Pic by LinusB4 / sxc.hu) RECENTLY, during a visit to the cinema, I encountered the infamous subset of Malaysians who seem to enjoy ruining the viewing experiences of others by being inconsiderate. You know the kind: those who let their mobile phone ring during the movie, or check their SMSes and distract you with the […]
Regaining our Malaysian voice
By Ding Jo-Ann(Pic by Yamamoto Ortiz / sxc.hu) MY New Year wish for all Malaysians is that we will regain our voice. We face an uncertain 2010. But if we are to become politically stable and economically secure, it is now, more than ever, that we need to be able to be openly critical of outdated policies […]
Looking back, moving forward
By Marina Mahathir(© Gaspirtz / Wiki Commons) IF I could, I would look up what all those astrologers said about 2009 at the beginning of the year to see if what they predicted was correct. If I recall correctly, all their predictions were of gloom and doom. And for once, I think they got it right: 2009 […]
The Nut Graph‘s future
By Jacqueline Ann SurinLetters from our readers TIS the season for celebrating so here’s the good news. The Nut Graph is going to be able to keep going until June 2010 for sure, potentially even to September 2010. And if some other funding we’ve applied for, and will be applying for, is approved in the months to come, […]
Signs of the times
By Cindy ThamSOCIAL networking. Sensational or controversial news involving women, politicians or celebrities. If our searches on the internet are indications of what we as a nation or society are concerned or curious about, then these were the topics that most internet users in Malaysia were interested in over the past year, according to Google Zeitgeist 2009. […]
Panggilan misteri daripada polis
By Fahmi FadzilTidak pernah dan tidak akan muncul di kedai buku berdekatan LEBIH sebulan sudah berlalu sejak kejadian percubaan rasuah di Balai Polis Tun HS Lee yang saya ceritakan dahulu. Kini, saya cuba memberanikan diri untuk melaporkan kejadian tersebut kepada Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), tapi hajat masih belum tercapai sebab sibuk. Tetapi semasa menunggu sampai sempat […]
PR’s spin on local elections
By Wong Chin HuatSPARE us the spin. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s promise to merely “strengthen local government democracy” in its common policy framework (CPF) is not a wider plan to go beyond local elections. It’s a compromise to substitute local elections. And from DAP chairperson Karpal Singh‘s comment, the obstacle to the coalition’s commitment to local elections is […]
Ratepayers as beggars
By KW MakNot doing wonders for property value(© Robyn Gallagher / Flickr) IN a previous column, a reader requested for help to remove rubbish in Section 5, Petaling Jaya. The rubbish had not been removed for some time. Such requests are not isolated. Other complaints are about pot holes or illegally parked cars outside commercial areas like […]
