IN the lead-up to the Sarawak elections, the prime minister and his deputy went all out to convince voters that Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud would step down after the state election because he was “ready”. But what does “after” and “ready” really mean? Is it “someday” as the deputy prime minister has stated or in “two to three years” as Taib has claimed? Clearly, vague rhetoric is useful for politicians to keep their options open especially now that the Barisan Nasional has again secured its two-thirds majority in the state assembly.
Current Issues
Building Malaysia in London
By Shanon Shah
IS the Federal Constitution secular or Islamic? Are the prime minister’s New Economic Model and Government Transformation Programme all they are cracked up to be? And what about corruption in Malaysia? Big questions, these, with discussions amongst politicians often ending up bitter, polemical and unyielding. Not to mention the name-calling, character assassinations and government muzzling […]
Reporting on GTP: Why all good news?
By Ding Jo-Ann
*Updated 4 April 2011 GOOD journalism involves asking the right questions. Asking who, what, when, where, why and how is part and parcel of any journalist’s toolkit. But how effectively did the traditional* print media apply these tools when reporting on the recent Government Transformation Programme (GTP) first year celebrations? Were there some questions, perhaps, […]
Umno’s tangle over “Allah”
By Jacqueline Ann Surin
YET again, in the tussle over “Allah” and Malay-language Bibles, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government shows how unclear it is about what it means to respect the religious rights of non-Muslims.
Understanding the Dewan Rakyat
By Deborah Loh
PETALING JAYA, 21 March 2011: How does Parliament work? How well do you know your Members of Parliament (MPs) and what they stand for? And what is the state of democracy in Malaysia? Answers to these questions will soon be out in a new book, Understanding the Dewan Rakyat, by The Nut Graph in collaboration […]
Hindraf and freedom of assembly
By Nick ChooThe Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rallied in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 27 Feb 2011, to protest against the use of the novel Interlok in schools. However, the exercising of fundamental citizens’ rights in a democracy has been met with opposition, criticism and police action. Who are the people who would oppose and demonise freedom of assembly and expression?
BN and the internet: Suppression or engagement?
By Nick ChooPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently said the government would not suppress cyberspace but instead engage this global change. But how do we square his remarks with the government’s plans to extend the PPPA’s reach online, and their other verbal attacks on internet expression?
Utusan Malaysia, Interlok and the azan
By Ding Jo-Ann
IT’S commonly accepted that the media play a role in shaping public perception. But how exactly does that happen? Here’s an analysis of Utusan Malaysia‘s coverage on two issues: the controversy over Interlok, and the request for the dawn azan’s volume to be lowered at a Kampung Kerinchi mosque. Interlok Let’s first look at the […]
Muslims serving alcohol: Ban or no ban?
By Nick ChooTHE Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ)’s recent ruling disallowing businesses that serve alcohol from hiring Muslims has raised many questions. Is it a law? A guideline? Just advice? Has it been rescinded? Who enacted the law that the ruling is based on? Why wasn’t it enforced before? And why the furore now?
Ancaman hubungan sejenis di Malaysia
Oleh Shanon ShahPada 15 Dis 2010, muncul sebuah video di YouTube yang memaparkan Azwan Ismail, 32, seorang lelaki Malaysia Melayu-Muslim, di mana dia menyatakan, “Saya gay, saya ok.”
