IN the first part of his interview with The Nut Graph, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek spoke about the need for the MCA to be more assertive in voicing the concerns of Chinese Malaysians. But the things the MCA supports – a secular state, a liberalised economy – puts it at odds […]
Interviews
Tang Ah Chai: Living through white terror
By Gan Pei Ling
TANG Ah Chai is a public intellectual and political commentator in the Chinese Malaysian community. Over the past few decades, the former deputy director of the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies has been actively involved in research relating to Chinese Malaysian history. He has written and edited Mandarin books on Yap Ah Loy, the founder […]
A shared history of suffering
By Ding Jo-Ann
ENTERING politics was just a matter of time for Malaysia’s youngest member of Parliament (MP), Teo Nie Ching. As her parents, sister and brother-in-law are all DAP members, discussions on political developments were common in the Teo household. Teo recalls how she was first invited to stand for elections as an MP. “It was just […]
Patrick Teoh: A still-unfulfilled Merdeka wish
By Ding Jo-Ann
WHEN Malaysians hear the name Patrick Teoh, it’s a voice, and not a face, that springs to mind. Teoh had no inkling when he landed his first radio job at Redifussion 45 years ago that he would go on to become one of Malaysia’s most recognisable voices. “People do say sometimes, ‘Patrick, your voice is […]
Being of Malaysian blood
By Deborah Loh
IN conjunction with Merdeka Day on 31 Aug and Malaysia Day on 16 Sept, BFM 89.9 is currently featuring a series of interviews called Bloodlines with prominent personalities about their ancestral heritage and their Malaysian identity. These conversations are with Malaysians The Nut Graph has interviewed for its Found in Malaysia series. These individuals are […]
Suhakam chief: “We’re an independent entity”
By Gan Pei Ling
TAN Sri Hasmy Agam was appointed the new Suhakam chief in June 2010. Previously, he was executive chairperson of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), and secretary-general of the United Nations Association of Malaysia. “I’m conscious of the fact that I’m no longer a civil servant. Now that I’m the chair[person] of Suhakam, […]
Lee Su Kim: “Nothing to lose in being open-minded”
By Ding Jo-Ann
GOSTAN. Outstation. Off-day. Cousin brother. Koochi-rat. These are all expressions unique to Malaysia recorded by author Lee Su Kim in her bestselling book Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest. Lee has authored eight books, including Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian and A Nyonya in Texas: Insights of a Straits Chinese Woman in the Lone Star State. She […]
“Syariah court has no legitimacy for non-Muslims”
By Ding Jo-Ann
Corrected 11.35am on 25 Aug 2010 ON 20 Aug 2010, a three-person bench of the Court of Appeal unanimously denied the application of S Kaliammal, the widow of Mount Everest climber M Moorthy, to determine her late husband’s religious status. Moorthy passed away on 20 Dec 2005 after entering into a coma. Just before his […]
Leading the student movement in the 1960s
By Gan Pei Ling
STUDENT activism in Universiti Malaya thrived in the 1960 and early 1970s. One of the key student leaders was Syed Hamid Ali who was University of Malaya Students’ Union (Umsu) general-secretary from 1967 to 1969, before he was elected president for the 1969 to 1970 term. Syed Hamid’s activism inadvertently began because he couldn’t be […]
Remembering when race didn’t matter
By Deborah Loh
SECOND to the panda logo, Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma is probably the next most synonymous face associated with WWF-Malaysia. His career with the environmental conservation group has spanned two decades, beginning in 1990 when he started out as a leatherback turtle project officer in Terengganu. Dr Dino, as many call him, became WWF-Malaysia’s executive director […]
