WHAT’S wrong with a Muslim saying that religious pluralism is harmful to Muslims? Or for a believer of any faith to say that his or her religion is the true one? Or even for an atheist to be adamant that there is no God? Nothing. As personal statements of belief, most persons of faith would […]
Najib Razak
BN and the internet: Suppression or engagement?
By Nick ChooPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently said the government would not suppress cyberspace but instead engage this global change. But how do we square his remarks with the government’s plans to extend the PPPA’s reach online, and their other verbal attacks on internet expression?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Lessons from Egypt for Malaysia
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE Egypt protests have dominated prime-time news for over two weeks now. After 30 years in power and initially refusing to accede to protestors‘ demands for him to leave, President Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 Feb 2011 after 18 days of nationwide demonstrations. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned Malaysians that demonstrations would […]
The truth about statutory declarations
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
WHAT is the difference between signing a statutory declaration (SD) and just saying something is true? Indeed, how are they different from “normal” statements? Is something more true just because it’s contained in an SD? And what happens when an SD is retracted? Until private investigator P Balasubramaniam emerged in the public eye, many probably […]
History a pass subject, but whose version?
By Ding Jo-AnnAt Umno’s recent 61st general assembly, the prime minister advised the nation to stop questioning Malaysia’s “social contract”. This was swiftly followed a clearly political decision requiring SPM takers to pass History from 2013. But whose version of history will this be?
Is the ISA the answer to human trafficking?
Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann
Corrected on 25 Oct 2010, 5.35pm THREE years ago, amid much fanfare to prove Malaysia’s credentials to the international community, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government enacted the Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act 2007 (Atip). The law gives enforcement officers the power to arrest anyone they reasonably suspect of committing human trafficking offences, even without a warrant. […]
Freezing the toll hike – who pays?
By Gan Pei LingTHE prime minister announced during Budget 2011 that the toll rates for four PLUS highways would not be raised over the next five years. It has since been revealed that the federal government may have to pay PLUS up to RM5bil in compensation as a result. Does the government’s action really benefit taxpayers? What could it be doing instead to resolve the issue in the public’s interest?
Making sense of 1MDB’s profits
By Deborah Loh
1MALAYSIA Development Bhd generates scepticism when news about its huge profit after just one year of capitalisation is juxtaposed with reports that it was given prized land in Sungai Besi for redevelopment.
An Umno that thinks beyond race
By Ding Jo-Ann
DATUK Seri Azalina Othman Said is no stranger to Malaysians. The lawyer and former television personality burst onto the political scene in her thirties when she was appointed to sit on the Umno supreme council by then president and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Azalina has held various positions within Umno, including vice-president and Puteri […]
Putting a stop to baby dumping
By Deborah LohTHE most logical and obvious solution to addressing pregnancies out of wedlock – sex education – still seems to escape our decision-makers and politicians, whose suggestions have not just become increasingly ridiculous but also highly punitive.
