Corrected on 27 July 2009 at 11.25am BERNICE Chauly says her work as a poet, photographer, filmmaker and writer is all about telling stories. Her work often has themes of marginalisation and identity. She’s written a play about sex workers, taken pictures of refugees, and made documentaries about indigenous peoples and Kelantanese folk traditions. She […]
Interviews
Battling the lobotomy of Malaysia
By Claire BrownellMALAYSIAN identity is a central concept in Marion D’Cruz‘s life work. She’s a founding member of the Five Arts Centre, which has played a key role in developing boundary-pushing Malaysian local theatre. Her works of choreography often have political themes, such as 2003’s War on Iraq. And as a teacher at colleges and universities around […]
“Mana saya mau letak ini?”
By Deborah LohBEHIND many a talented artiste or group is Ahmad Izham Omar. Names such as Too Phat, OAG, Poetic Ammo, Ruffedge, VE and Innuendo were under the Positive Tone label, which he founded and became managing director of in 1994. In recent years, he’s unearthed more local talent through Malaysian Idol, So You Think You Can […]
“Difference in Islam is healthy”
By Zedeck SiewSusan Carland “IF you publish this, and I get kicked out of the country, I know who to thank,” says Susan Carland towards to the end of our interview. There is a reason for Australian Carland, who was recently in Malaysia, to be cautious. Speaking up as an outsider about Islam in Malaysia has its […]
The continuing migrant story
By Deborah LohKATHY Rowland gets asked a lot about where she’s from. It wouldn’t be an issue but for the fact that she is Malaysian, has a Caucasian surname and doesn’t look white. And so in racially-defined Malaysia, with its obsession for categories, Rowland is the odd “dan lain-lain”. The Petaling Jaya native is co-founder and managing […]
Learning to be Malaysian
By Deborah LohKARIM Raslan‘s father was Raslan Abdullah, who founded Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd in the 1960s. Karim describes his father as a “typical product” of the New Economic Policy. The late Raslan, who died in a car crash when Karim was seven, was close friends with then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak and other Umno elites. […]
Watching Malaysia change
By Zedeck SiewUpdated 22 June 2009, 5.16pm DATUK Ambiga Sreenevasan’s reference point for how aware Malaysians are about issues is the taxi driver. The respected lawyer and former Malaysian Bar president is no stranger to being scolded by taxi drivers while she is dressed up in her courtroom garb. “‘Aiya, this judiciary, can buy,’ one told me,” […]
Picking the right battles
By Deborah LohIN his interview with The Nut Graph yesterday, Puchong Member of Parliament (MP) Gobind Singh Deo spoke about being suspended from attending the Dewan Rakyat, and how the loss of an MP’s salary affects an elected representative’s service to constituents. Gobind, who is blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s lawyer, was suspended for alleging Datuk Seri Najib […]
“There’s no democracy in Parliament”
By Deborah LohGobind Singh Deo HAVING a famous father helps, but first-time Member of Parliament (MP) Gobind Singh Deo, 38, has carved his own reputation as a lawyer and a politician. The “little lion of Puchong” as he is fondly known, has become as well known as his father for being thrown out of Parliament sittings. On […]
The hybrid-Malay Malaysian dilemma
By Shanon ShahDR Farish Noor is a prolific academic. The founder of The Other Malaysia project writes on the politics of Malaysia, Indonesia, Islamism, and old Malay hikayats with gusto and insight. He has been published everywhere. Well, nearly. It makes one wonder what he does to de-stress. “I repair old batik, I knit and I stitch,” […]
