Let me tell you a story. Mind you, it’s a story with absolutely no application at all. We are all adults, and need no moral lectures. It is a story of two kings, but I’m only going to tell you about the first one. He was a famous king, the son of a former famous […]
Columns
Why the EAIC is unconstitutional
By Andrew KhooTHE Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) Bill 2009, passed by the Dewan Rakyat on 1 July and now on its way to the Dewan Negara, appears to be unconstitutional. The EAIC sets out to oversee the integrity of 21 law enforcement agencies, including the National Anti-Drugs Agency, Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia (Rela), the Road Transport […]
Green censorship?
By Cindy ThamGoing “green” properly requires many considerations (© Steve Woods / sxc.hu) FOR many of us, the colour green symbolises the environment. Individuals, organisations and countries are going green, not just because it’s popular but more importantly, because it’s crucial to the sustainability of this planet we call home. However, a recent “green” move by the […]
Ten KPIs for Najib
By Wong Chin HuatUpdated on 13 July 2009 at 2.10pm (Malaysian flag image source: vigilenzmd.com) THIS Saturday, 11 July 2009, will mark Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 100 days as prime minister. Be prepared for the swamp of praises for Malaysia’s sixth prime minister and for his 1Malaysia vision. Three months ago, upon his succession, even his pinkish skin […]
Memperingati Michael Jackson
Oleh Shanon ShahMichael Jackson (© Oceania Rock / Flickr.com) PERTAMA kali saya mendengar lagu mendiang Michael Jackson pada tahun 1984, saya berumur enam tahun. Saya ingat lagi, pada masa itu Radio dan Televisyen Malaysia menyiarkan rancangan hiburan istimewa mengenai Anugerah Grammy ke-26. Jackson memecahkan pelbagai rekod untuk pencalonan bagi albumnya, Thriller. Rancangan tersebut memaparkan sedutan videonya untuk […]
Who’s afraid of sodomy?
By Farish NoorMASS hypocrisy season comes and goes in Malaysia with the regularity of the monsoon or the haze. While we entertain the polite fiction of being a semi-civilised nation with a few shopping malls, we conveniently forget that ours is a political culture mired in the mores and norms of hypocrisy. The public display of normative […]
Mencapai kuota 30% wanita
Oleh Suraya YaacobWanita Umno di pilihanraya Umno SAYA melalui pemilihan Umno yang lepas dengan baik. Alhamdulilah saya mendapat sokongan dari perwakilan Wanita bahagian-bahagian seluruh Malaysia. Tercedera? Pastinya. Ini baru pemilihan di dalam Wanita Umno. Di peringkat yang lebih tinggi, Majlis Tertinggi Umno, hanya seorang wanita yang berjaya. Kalau begini, macam mana negara hendak mencapai sasaran kuota 30% […]
Civil servants and the art of silence
By Deborah LohINCREDULOUS. That’s how a journalist feels when a senior civil servant responds to a request for information with a flat refusal to answer. Following the commentary on the need for a Freedom of Information Act, it is timely to relate another story about failed attempts to get answers on matters of public interest from the […]
“We cannot afford another Anwar prosecution” (Updated)
By Datuk Ambiga SreenevasanUpdated 3.20pm on 30 June 2009 The following is an excerpt of a public lecture by Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan titled Democracy, Law and Human Rights in an Era of Globalisation that was delivered on 23 June 2009 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Chevening Scholarship Programme THE Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim prosecution is seen […]
Slavery abroad!
By Zedeck Siew(Pic by scoll22 / sxc.hu) THERE has been considerable debate surrounding Malaysia’s proposed one-off-day gift to foreign domestic workers. There’s some strange synchronicity involved, it seems: the welfare of foreign labour is not only a hot topic here, but in neighbouring countries, as well. I received this (somewhat irate) statement in my mailbox yesterday. It […]
