(Festive image by ba1969 / sxc.hu) THE build-up to Malaysia’s 46th birthday began this year, for me, with an argument between two acquaintances. A West Malaysian acquaintance said the prevailing notion that Malaysia is 52 years old, versus its actual birth in 1963, is a matter of interpretation. An East Malaysian acquaintance angrily pointed out […]
Malaysia
Malaysia Day
By The Nut Graph teamPOP quiz: Is Malaysia 46 or 52? Historical facts show that the Federated Malay states gained independence on 31 Aug 1957. Thus, Malaya was freed from colonial rule 52 years ago. But the birth of Malaysia itself, when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the independent Malay states, took place on 16 Sept 1963. That makes […]
Not just 1Malaysia, but 15Malaysia
By Cindy ThamWHAT does it take for a non-Muslim to apply for an Islamic bank account in Malaysia? Ho Yuhang’s short film, Potong Saga, offers a comical exaggeration of one community’s misguided assumptions. In one scene, the protagonist played by Namewee nervously contemplates the sacrifice he assumes he has to make to qualify for the bank account, […]
Utusan Malaysia and 1Malaysia
By Wong Chin HuatIF newspapers could be judged by their titles like books by their covers, most of the major Chinese-language newspapers in Malaysia would be guilty of not being “national” in character. Some of their names simply refer to a wider region like Oriental Daily (the East) and Nanyang Press (Southeast Asia, or literally the South Ocean). […]
1Malaysia and citizenship
By Dr Chandra Muzaffar(Source: Wiki Commons) SINCE 1Malaysia accords with the Malaysian constitution, what are some of the constitution’s main principles that can help to promote the idea? Is citizenship one such principle? The concept of common citizenship contained in the constitution is one of the most solid foundations for the creation of a united, integrated nation, a […]
Merdeka and the Malay rulers
By Clive KesslerMap of Malaya (Source: britishempire.co.uk) LOOKING forward, at the conclusion of the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s recent Prof Syed Hussein Alatas Memorial Seminar, to Merdeka Day, the Raja Muda of Perak recalled another anniversary. On the threshold of independence on 5 Aug 1957, the Malay rulers issued a declaration, their last political testament before the […]
Malaysia, my only home?
By Hwa Yue-Yi(Malaysian flag by Matt Trommer / Dreamstime) IN a July 2009 dialogue with Malaysian professionals and company representatives in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak attributed Malaysia’s chronic brain drain to uncompetitive wages for professionals. If he is correct, then so are scores of exasperated blogs and hackneyed news articles. Nevertheless, his statement […]
Supporting detention without trial
By Zedeck Siew“Don’t just look to our country only. See our neighbours or other countries. They too have laws more or less like ours or more stricter [sic].” Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, commenting on the need to retain the Internal Security Act (ISA), to “ensure economic and political stability”. He suggested that the Act […]
Malaysia’s UN fan club
By Shanon ShahUpdated at 7.50pm, 21 July 2009 MALAYSIA has announced publicly that “respect for human rights has long been established given the country’s character as a melting pot of various cultures, religions and ethnicities.” This announcement was made at none other than Malaysia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) […]
Raja Petra still in Malaysia, court told
PETALING JAYA, 17 July 2009: The Sessions Court here today was told that blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, accused of sedition, was believed to be in Malaysia and not in Australia as reported by the media. Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said police investigation revealed that Raja Petra, 59, had never left the country. […]
