DISAPPOINTING as the Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek-Lim Guan Eng televised debate was, what’s clear is this: Malaysia could do with more public debates between the politicians who covet our votes and the power of public office. Since the 18 Feb 2012 debate between the MCA president and the DAP secretary-general, calls have been […]
Najib Razak
Amending the UUCA — what’s needed?
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
THE quest for greater academic freedom for Malaysian university students has seen an eventful past six months. In October 2011, a landmark Court of Appeal decision declared section 15(5)(a) of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) unconstitutional. The section prohibits students from expressing support for, or opposition against, any political party. In November […]
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: What if Najib wins?
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE next general election will be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first election as head of the Barisan Nasional (BN). Najib will also be leading the BN into its first general election after its worst election performance in March 2008. The Nut Graph asks political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat on how well Najib […]
Nasihat tentang kebebasan akademik
Secubit Garam oleh Shanon Shah
BARU-baru ini, saya banyak mendengar pendapat yang bertentangan tentang tindak-tanduk aktivis mahasiswa Adam Adli. Ada yang menuduh tindakannya bodoh dan biadap, tetapi ada juga yang mempertahankan haknya untuk bersuara. Walaupun tidak berkaitan secara langsung, saya rasa nasihat terbaru dari kolumnis pujaan ramai, Kak Nora, memberi perspektif yang penting. Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Kak Nora, Kak, […]
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Lessons from the Seksualiti Merdeka controversy
By Shanon Shah
Open-ended vs. close-ended democracy?
Wishing for an open society
By Koh Lay Chin
R NADESWARAN, better known as Citizen Nades, has spent years as the heart of theSun newspaper’s special and investigative reporting team. An award-winning veteran journalist, Nades has reported about local government issues since he started his career as a reporter with The Malay Mail in 1978. Born in 1952, the 59-year-old has dedicated himself to […]
The nuclear waste dilemma
As if Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
A person was killed and four were injured in a French nuclear waste treatment plant on Sept 12, 2011. This piece of news drew my mind to the fact that debate over nuclear waste treatment and disposal in the light of Malaysia’s own nuclear plans, is still lacking. More often, worries are focused about potential […]
Insulting Muslims 101
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
HOW does one insult Islam in Malaysia? And how does one insult Muslims in Malaysia? Over the past few years and increasingly over the past months, the state, politicians and pressure groups like Perkasa have demonstrated just how to do either one or both. For the most part, these incidents are an insult to Muslims […]
Taking cheap shots
By Koh Lay Chin
ANYONE familiar with the UK Riots and the Bersih rally would have been gobsmacked by Malaysian politicians comparing the two in gloating fashion recently. According to no less than our prime minister, the UK Riots apparently justify the Malaysian government’s actions in stopping the Bersih rally. Datuk Seri Najib Razak reportedly said the government wanted […]
The problem with the 8TV ads
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
WHY were the three 8TV Ramadan ads so offensive? “I don’t get it,” more than one person said on the social network they were on. “Chill guys,” 8TV executive director and Media Prima chief executive officer of Alt Media Ahmad Izham Omar told critics on Twitter. “Don’t overthink the ads. It’s written, produced and directed […]
