RACE and 1Malaysia have occupied my thoughts in the last few weeks. It can’t be helped, given the articles I’ve had to write on both subjects of late. I’ve almost reached saturation point listening to people debate the meaning of 1Malaysia. Last Friday, 24 July, I attended a forum where a small group of academics, […]
1Malaysia
Swept away by Najib
IT’S easy to be swept away in the hyped-up euphoria surrounding Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 100 days in office. The Star, for example, celebrated Najib’s 11 gifts to the rakyat, announced on 11 July 2009, with a blown-up picture of Najib occupying more than half its front page in its 12 July publication. Other traditional […]
1Malaysia according to Tamu
1Malaysia. There are merits to the philosophy behind it — after all, who doesn’t wish for national unity, and for genuine respect and fair treatment between all groups in Malaysia. The latest poll by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research showed that while 76% of the public surveyed knew of 1Malaysia, 39% of respondents said […]
Najib & Co. (Part 1)
“Give me a chance. I will reform and I will make changes.” Then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, speaking at a press conference at the Umno general assembly in April 2009, days before he was made prime minister. He said he was aware that some parties expected him to act in an authoritarian […]
Most believe Najib can improve race relations
PETALING JAYA, 8 July 2009: Most peninsular Malaysians think Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be able to improve race relations, according to the latest Merdeka Centre poll. The survey, titled 100 days of the Najib administration, found that 60% of respondents, comprising 72% Indian, 71% Malay and 40% Chinese Malaysians, were confident that […]
Govt revives NGO to explain 1Malaysia
PETALING JAYA, 24 June 2009: Concerned about misunderstandings over 1Malaysia, the government has revived a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Tabung Amanah Muhibah (Tamu), to explain the concept to the public. Tamu executive director Datuk Dahan Abdul Latiff said the NGO was given its new mandate in April , after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced […]
Divided we stand
LET’s think about the following key words in Malaysian politics: unity government, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Chin Peng, government or PSD scholarships, Utusan Malaysia, and the language in education policy. What comes to your mind? Ethnocentrism? Religious fundamentalism? National disunity? Who hasn’t lamented about why our nation cannot be spared such ethno-religious polemics? Why can’t […]
Agong: Show respect for 1Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 June 2009: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, today called on the people to show appreciation for the 1Malaysia concept introduced as an extension of government efforts to grow national unity sown at the time of the nation’s independence more than 50 years ago. He said every citizen had a […]
From tsunami to epidemics
METAPHORS are more than sound bites. For example, the sea-changing 2008 general election is best represented by the metaphor “tsunami”, first coined by seasoned opposition leader and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang. Why is tsunami an apt metaphor for 8 March 2008? First, a tsunami sweeps away existing structures and leaves a new landscape behind. […]
Black sedition vs white terror
IF I had to find a personal reason to explain the 1BLACKMalaysia campaign, I would attribute it to the determination of Perakians to denounce things they don’t like. And I would give the royal example of the late Sultan Idris Shah II of Perak. He vowed not to shave his moustache and beard if the […]
