Columns

HOW many times and just how hard do Malaysians have to try to meet Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to raise legitimate concerns about government action? And what price do Malaysians, who will not toe the government line by speaking up against injustice, have to pay for trying to meet the self-professed “Prime Minister for […]

I GAVE a presentation a couple of weeks ago on some of the problems associated with so-called Islamic finance and its roots in the shariah. After the session, a professor of political science said to me: “It’s such an insoluble problem. I don’t know how Islam can resolve the issues and difficulties in its law […]

Corrected on 9 Oct 2008 at 7pm [Corrected] Not from a factory assembly line — handmade craft sold by Gerai Orang Asal ONE necklace was made of igiu and talantang seeds, and another, petai and talantang seeds. The two arrived at the office via Poslaju three days after they were bought from Soning Craft’s online […]

THE “third force” seems to be a phrase that is capturing the imagination of political parties and civil society. Instead of joining the Barisan Nasional (BN) or the Pakatan Rakyat, why can’t a party find its own niche and survive? Why can’t it struggle independently and choose to cooperate with the two larger players on […]

(Public domain) IN legal terms, the “reasonable person” standard is often used in arguing out cases. It is not always easy to define what this means. But it is generally accepted that the reasonable person is one who is well informed, capable, aware of the law, and fair-minded. Thus “reasonable politics” would be one that […]

Updated on 9 Oct 2008 at 6.40pm IN September, I attended the launch of Kee Thuan Chye’s book March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up at Times bookstore in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. This engaging slice of Malaysian history chronicles a momentous general election that, some think, heralds the emergence of a two-party system in a […]

(© sxc.hu) THE Barisan Nasional (BN) government is currently in the process of moving a bill to amend the Education Act 1996. Upon reading the parent Act (something that one has to do if one wants to debate the amendments), I was surprised to find out how authoritarian and undemocratic the parent Act really is. […]

Stormy skies above the New York Stock Exchange building (© Cheryl Casey / Dreamstime) BY a vote of 228 to 205, the US Congress defied the White House on 29 Sept 2008 by voting against a US$700 billion rescue package to bail out near bankrupt American financial institutions. It is interesting to note that two-thirds […]

(Source: scottthong.wordpress.com) I HOPE everyone has had a wonderful holiday. I wish everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Please forgive my transgressions as I offer forgiveness, too. While we’re all still probably feasting on Aidilfitri specialties, I’m sure Jane Lim’s family is not exactly in a celebratory mood. If you missed the news on 23 Sept […]

Ramai yang bersembahyang (© Kaikai / Dreamstime) PAGI Aidilfitri tahun ini, hujan turun merata-rata di Kedah. Namun, Masjid Alor Merah tetap sarat dengan jemaah solat Aidilfitri. Berbeza sungguh suasananya berbanding dengan malam-malam sebelum hari raya. Di bulan Ramadan, jemaah terawih tidak sampai lima saf pun, tapi pada Aidilfitri, jemaah yang datang lewat terpaksa berdiri di […]