ONE year ago, on 16 July 2009, DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock was found dead at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Shah Alam. Teoh had been interrogated for almost 11 hours. The inquest into his mysterious death is still ongoing. More recently, the MACC summoned two Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Selangor […]
Pakatan Rakyat
“Sarawak will remain with BN”
By Ding Jo-Ann
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 July 2010: The Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to rule Sarawak for at least two more state elections, said a Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) political scientist. Citing the latest Merdeka Center for Opinion Research poll on Malaysian political values, Faisal S Hazis said the perception that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) could take […]
BN divided on Islamic state issue
Translation by Gan Pei Ling
FORMER prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when he was still deputy premier, have all proclaimed Malaysia to be an Islamic state. Despite that, most Umno parliamentarians have avoided answering the question, “Do you think Malaysia should be a secular or an […]
Creativity and innovation in politics
By The Nut Graph
ON 20 June 2010, at The Nut Graph’s first Found in Conversation event, on creativity and innovation in politics, three young politicians tackled questions about politics post-March 2008. While Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin talked about challenges within his party for much-needed reforms to happen, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua assured the audience that […]
Khairy: Yes, Umno can change
By Ding Jo-Ann
“IS Umno its own worst enemy? Does it need to lose power before it can reform?” These questions and more were posed to Members of Parliament (MPs) Khairy Jamaluddin, Tony Pua and Nurul Izzah Anwar at The Nut Graph’s recent forum, Found in Conversation: Creativity and Innovation in Politics. “Why does our prime minister have […]
Kedah, the Islamic state?
By Shanon Shah
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 […]
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.
PKR and patronage
By Deborah LohPKR’s sixth congress in Kota Baru PARTI Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is the future, its president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail declared at the party’s 2009 congress held at the end of May in Kota Baru. But if that were so, the congress showed little direction as to how PKR would lead the Pakatan […]
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 […]
