“The goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive — and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are embedded into […]
Current Issues
PM Najib one year later
By The Nut Graph teamCOME 3 April 2010, Malaysians would have spent exactly one calendar year with Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister. The year can hardly be described as a honeymoon — after all, there was unprecedented opposition from civil society and politicians from both sides of the divide to Najib’s ascendance. The new premier, in turn, […]
Winning over women
By Deborah LohWomen’s rights logo (Public domain) ACCORDING to the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), women in Malaysia have made little progress over the past 25 years. In a briefing for parliamentarians last week on 24 March, JAG listed out the good, the bad and the ugly that affect women. JAG’s research into the issues […]
Soi Lek’s presidency — who’s resigning?
By Ding Jo-Ann“It’s not that I cannot accept [Chua]. A lot of party members cannot accept him — even my 13 CC members cannot accept him because that will further tarnish the party image. “I’ve been talking so much about the party’s interest, so if I support Soi Lek to become the president, I will be the […]
What the film censors want
By Shanon Shah begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlightingWHO would have thought that on the issue of film censorship, Malaysia and the US would have so much in common? Just look at the Home Ministry’s updated film censorship guidelines, which took effect on 15 March 2010. The four broad areas covered are: public peace and security; the religious; the socio-cultural; and manners and […]
BN’s commitment to indigenous rights
By Ding Jo-Ann“We open our ears to whatever grouses the public, in particular the Orang Asli, have. If anyone says we are depriving them, we are neglecting them, that’s not true.” RURAL and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, speaking to reporters after receiving a memorandum from the Orang Asli protesting proposed changes to the […]
Malaysia, the model Muslim country
By Shanon ShahMalaysia? BACK when he was deputy prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged that Malaysia would become “a role model to the Islamic world”. He said this in the middle of the 2009 Kuala Terengganu by-election, which Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) eventually lost to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Najib’s pledge was poetic, since a “role model” […]
Confusion over ISA banner
By Shanon ShahPETALING JAYA, 26 March 2010: Two Muslim groups who are opposed to the Internal Security Act (ISA) are distancing themselves from a banner that implicates their endorsement of the Act. Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) and the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) have both denied that they agreed to a banner which read, “ISA is the […]
Creating a level playing field
By Ding Jo-Ann(Silhouettes by mzacha / sxc.hu) PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is all set to role out a new economic model for growth in Malaysia. The indications are that the subsidy regime and price controls will be abolished once the new economic model is in place. This would be in line with Najib’s other efforts […]
Can children marry?
By Ding Jo-Ann“If the syariah court grants the marriage, there is no reason for anyone, not even the civil courts, to question the sanctity of the marriage.” SELANGOR mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid, stating that syariah courts could hear applications to approve marriages involving Muslim girls under 16. Currently, Islamic family law allows girls 16 and […]
