THE Malaysian authorities are being discriminatory and ignorant in their treatment of transsexual woman Fatine, who is facing visa problems in the United Kingdom. Instead of assisting Fatine in negotiating with the UK authorities, the Immigration director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman has instead threatened her with stern action for overstaying in the UK. Abdul Rahman […]
Current Issues
Concern over climate change down
By Gan Pei LingConcern over climate change has decreased in Malaysia (CC BY 2.0 Azrainman / Flickr) PETALING JAYA, 7 Dec 2009: Concern over climate change has decreased in Malaysia in the midst of fears over the global recession, an internet-based survey involving 12 countries said. The HSBC Climate Confidence Monitor 2009 found that Malaysians were more concerned […]
The voice of the Malay communists
By Deborah LohFormer CPM chairperson Abdullah CD arriving at the commemorative ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the peace accords THE issue of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) is definitely one that is framed according to the racial lines that divide us as a nation. For example, the prevailing myth is that the CPM was an […]
Keeping secrets over Bukit Antarabangsa
By Ding Jo-Ann“We hope the Bukit Antarabangsa residents will know the truth now that the full report has been released.” Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim announcing that the Public Works Department (JKR)’s investigation report on the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide would be declassified by the Selangor government. The report was released to the Ampang Jaya Municipal […]
What to expect at COP15
By Gan Pei Ling(© David Ridley / Dreamstime) AMERICAN president Barack Obama announced on 25 Nov 2009 that he would be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP15, in Copenhagen after all, albeit just for a day. Over 60 world leaders including UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Australian premier Kevin Rudd are expected to […]
Efforts to curb HIV spread thwarted
By Ding Jo-AnnNeedle and syringe exchange kit used as part of a programme aimed at drug users, who comprise about 75% of those detected with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia TWENTY-three years after the first HIV infection was detected in Malaysia and 11,400 deaths from AIDS later, health workers are still facing obstacles from the authorities in preventing the […]
BTN promotes racial unity?
By Ding Jo-Ann“The courses promote racism and my own children who have attended BTN have been given booklets that encourage hate towards the opposition.” “The programmes are not positive to young minds, and are a waste of money which could have been used to foster real unity.” SELANGOR executive council member Dr Halimah Ali, announcing the state […]
The problem of political financing
By Koh Lay Chin(Ballot box pic by Miguel Sanchez / sxc.hu) KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Dec 2009: Malaysia has a problem with political financing but it still remains unclear what solutions might work to address the issue, a Transparency International (TI) Malaysia national conference concluded yesterday. Dr Edmund Terence Gomez, professor of political economy at Universiti Malaya, said current […]
Was Chin Peng played out?
By Deborah LohChin Peng arriving at a hotel in Haadyai for a press conference MORE puzzling than the Malaysian government‘s current myopic reaction against the idea of Chin Peng‘s return is the sketchy outline of events soon after the Haadyai Peace Accords. The peace treaty was signed on 2 Dec 1989 to end hostilities between Malaysia and […]
“Govt in denial about HIV/AIDS”
By Ding Jo-AnnKUALA LUMPUR, 30 Nov 2009: The government must stop being in denial about children infected with HIV/AIDS, a child rights’ activist and advocate said today. Hartini“The government should stop saying that there’s no problem, no child prostitution, no children taking drugs, no children with HIV. There are children having sex and taking drugs, that’s the […]
