IF a picture paints a thousand words, then one wonders what description of Kedah its billboards are now painting. A drive down Lebuhraya Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Setar reveals a succession of billboards for a variety of companies and products with slogans in Jawi script. In fact, one of the billboards promoting Media Prima-owned radio […]
Barisan Nasional
Strengthening Dewan Negara
By Gan Pei Ling
THE Dewan Negara, or Senate, has long been perceived as a “rubber stamp” of the Dewan Rakyat or Lower House in Malaysia. In a Westminster parliamentary democracy, the Senate is meant to provide checks and balances on the Lower House. Indeed, healthy democracies thrive because of checks and balances. That the Dewan Negara in Malaysia […]
A non-Malay PM: How possible?
By Deborah Loh
IN envisioning federal power, one of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s trickiest points is where to place the DAP (read, a Chinese Malaysian) in the executive line up. As prime minister? God forbid, not in this Malay-Muslim majority country. As deputy prime minister? But what about PAS?
The moon rises
By Wong Chin HuatIN the midst of the 2009 Perak constitutional coup, embattled Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin won many Malaysians over with his moral courage, steadfastness and calm. He became the face of Malaysians who opposed an absolute monarchy.
Class vs ethnic politics
By Wong Chin HuatIT would be a mistake to think that Datuk Ibrahim Ali is a true champion of the Malay Malaysian poor. But it would be equally silly to think that the Malay Malaysian poor do not support or sympathise with his call. After all, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s failure to increase support in Malay Malaysian rural […]
Bung Mokhtar: Lawmaker or breaker?
By Ding Jo-AnnProtestors outside the Gombak Timur Syariah Court (pic courtesy of Women’s Aid Organisation) “(Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin) is a lawmaker and he is breaking the law, but the way the issue is highlighted makes it seem like there’s nothing wrong.” “(He) should step down and should not represent Malaysians (in Parliament) any more. That would […]
Buy me an election?
By Deborah Loh“Please, I help you, you help me. That way we have a very fair and happy relationship….It won’t cost you anything to give us what we want. We will do what we should to give you what you want. And you know what I want.” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak handing over federal funds […]
Reporting on Sibu
By Ding Jo-AnnInvestigating frontpage stories after the Sibu by-election… (© clarita | morguefile.com) (Corrected at 5.55pm, 18 May 2010) THE day after Sibu fell to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in a closely-watched and fought by-election, what kind of frontpage stories greeted Malaysians in the press? With some newspapers relegating the news of the week to a second […]
Strengthening PKR
By Ding Jo-AnnTHE knives have been out for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) since its candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim lost the Hulu Selangor by-election to the MIC’s P Kamalanathan. Analysis and commentaries have emerged calling PKR the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s “weakest link”. There have also been “unnamed sources” citing internal bickering, a weak election machinery, and lack of […]
The BN’s culture of “balas budi”
By Deborah Loh(Gift image by iprole, gift tag image by modish / sxc.hu) CHINESE Malaysian community leaders and MCA politicians are reacting strongly to Perkasa‘s calls for the government to “punish” Hulu Selangor voters who didn’t vote for the Barisan Nasional (BN). I believe we are in store for more of such rhetoric, this blaming and defence […]
