IN recent interviews, Umno Youth-chief hopeful Khairy Jamaluddin has condemned party-hopping, and has been arguing strenuously for reform of Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN). However, after the recent BN takeover of the Perak government by defections from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) camp, Khairy apparently made an about-face. When addressing a crowd of Umno Youth […]
Exclusives
Coming into his own
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon Shah(File pic by Danny Lim) ONCE it was clear that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would exit as both prime minister and Umno president in March 2009, the favour that Khairy Jamaluddin presumably enjoyed as son-in-law must have evaporated quickly. But the changing political fortunes and shifting political equations could very well be a blessing […]
Mapping change
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon ShahKHAIRY Jamaluddin knows that he is still the underdog in the upcoming Umno Youth chief race. While Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s nominations rushed in from the very beginning, nominations for Khairy merely trickled. Even the nominations for former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo saw quicker action. That hasn’t stopped the 33-year-old in […]
Umno’s resistance to change
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon ShahWHO would be envious of Khairy Jamaluddin? Despite his meteoric rise within Umno and the doors that were presumably opened to him as the prime minister’s son-in-law, the changing political tide means the 33-year-old now has to swim against currents. And swim he does. With Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s exit as premier and Umno […]
The pastor for Palestine
By Shanon ShahTHE protests in Malaysia against Israel’s attacks on Gaza have taken on an overwhelmingly Islamic hue. From PAS‘s public demonstrations to the Muslim Consumers Association’s campaign to boycott all Jewish products, the crisis in Gaza has been painted as a proxy war between Muslims and Jews. Some prominent Malaysian Muslims have spoken up against this […]
Vision of the mayor
By Shanon Shah(Background image © Kristina Afanasyeva / sxc.hu; Datuk Ahmad Fuad pic courtesy of DBKL) REPORTS on Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail’s appointment as mayor of Kuala Lumpur (KL) on 12 Dec 2008 have generally been favourable. The long-serving civil servant and former Housing and Local Government Ministry secretary-general has been touted as people-friendly, efficient, and fair […]
Liberating Palestine
By Shanon ShahBook cover for Where the streets had a name (all pics courtesy of Pan MacMillan) THERE has been an outpouring of rage and sympathy from many Malaysians, from across the political divide, towards Israel’s recent bombardment of Gaza, Palestine. To gain a more nuanced perspective of the issue, The Nut Graph spoke exclusively with Australian […]
Islamic crime and punishment
By Shanon ShahA MUCH sought-after speaker, imam Feisal Abdul Rauf was born in Kuwait in 1948 into an Egyptian family steeped in religious scholarship. He has a degree in physics from Columbia University in New York, United States, and was also educated in England and Malaysia. His comfort in slipping into Bahasa Malaysia before this interview was […]
Fatwas 101
By Shanon ShahIMAM Feisal Abdul Rauf is the imam of Masjid Al-Farah in New York City, barely 12 blocks from the site of the 11 Sept 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre. He is also CEO of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (Asma). Established in 1997, Asma is a Muslim organisation committed to bringing Muslims […]
Defending Chinese schools
By Elizabeth LooiDR Kua Kia Soong has been a Chinese educationist since 1983 when he became the higher education adviser for Dong Jiao Zong, the Chinese education movement. The former DAP Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya didn’t benefit from a Chinese-language education himself. He chose to learn Mandarin as an adult. And in 1985, his book […]
