(Mooncake image by Mingwei / Dreamstime) DEPENDING on how you look at it, this article on national independence is either two weeks too late or 50 weeks too early. The two weeks after Malaysia Day on 16 Sept 2009, coupled with the Hari Raya mood, seemed peaceful and even boring by Malaysian standards. That is, […]
uncommon sense
Walls
By Wong Chin HuatPEOPLE could be forgiven when watching the prime minister’s Merdeka address if they thought they had travelled back in time to 22 years ago and mistook Datuk Seri Najib Razak for Ronald Reagan. Reagan, the then US President, had urged Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Well done for the […]
Can PAS manage victory?
By Wong Chin HuatPAS supporters on nomination day, 17 Aug 2009 (Pic courtesy of theSun) THE Permatang Pasir by-election was an unquestionable success for PAS and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). PAS’s share of the total votes cast, excluding spoilt votes, went from 66.39% in the March 2008 elections to 65.50% — a drop of barely 1%. The reduction […]
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). […]
“I am an extremist”
By Wong Chin HuatJeff Ooi (Pic by Joi Ito / Wiki commons)I AM an extremist because I am a friend of Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM). In his capacity as the chief of staff for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP’s Jelutong Member of Parliament Jeff Ooi had called for Parti Keadilan Rakyat member Mohd Razali Abdullah to […]
Launching Malaysia 2.0
By Wong Chin HuatWater cannon being used during the 1 Aug anti-ISA rally (Pic courtesy of Merdeka Review) A FRIEND asked on Facebook: “[The Barisan Nasional] (BN) insists [on keeping the Internal Security Act (ISA)]; do you want to keep the BN?” This question is spot on. It simplifies many issues into a single concern. It almost frames […]
Ten KPIs for Najib
By Wong Chin HuatUpdated on 13 July 2009 at 2.10pm (Malaysian flag image source: vigilenzmd.com) THIS Saturday, 11 July 2009, will mark Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 100 days as prime minister. Be prepared for the swamp of praises for Malaysia’s sixth prime minister and for his 1Malaysia vision. Three months ago, upon his succession, even his pinkish skin […]
Divided we stand
By Wong Chin HuatLET’s think about the following key words in Malaysian politics: unity government, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Chin Peng, government or PSD scholarships, Utusan Malaysia, and the language in education policy. What comes to your mind? Ethnocentrism? Religious fundamentalism? National disunity? Who hasn’t lamented about why our nation cannot be spared such ethno-religious polemics? Why can’t […]
One ummah, two PASes
By Wong Chin HuatNOTHING could be more wrong than to think there is a pro-Umno faction in PAS. Rather, we need to notice nuances in the debate on a possible unity government with Umno and the notorious resolution for the National Fatwa Council to investigate and possibly ban Sisters in Islam (SIS). These issues are symptomatic of two […]
Undoing the 13 May legacy
By Wong Chin HuatEVERY nation has its dark side of history. Some nations like Japan and Turkey do not have the courage to face their dark past — they would do anything to bury or alter history. Others like Germany, South Africa, and Australia bravely own up their historical sins — whether committed against other nations or their […]
