The BBC on Tuesday carried a most thought-provoking interview with Andreas Schleicher, the man responsible for the highly-influential Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) tests. Pisa is the leading benchmark for measuring pupils’ skills in reading, numeracy and science globally. In the article headlined ‘China: The world’s cleverest country?’, Schleicher was quoted as saying China’s … Read more
In my note to Chandra on May 6 which he acknowledged, and which was sent well before this latest rebuttal, I had written: “I hope we can have a sustained discussion on the important subject that you have identified. I don’t think a one-off debate is a good way to have that discussion. I know politicians … Read more
It is a pity that Dr Lim Teck Ghee has chosen to ignore some of the arguments and analyses I had presented in my earlier reply, and instead has clung stubbornly to his dogmatic position on the political scenario in the country today. “Irrefutable fact” An example of this is his warped reasoning on … Read more
I have followed with some interest the on-going arguments between the MIC and a number of PKR leaders on the status of Indians born in Malaysia who do not enjoy the rights of Malaysian citizenship. My attention has also been drawn to a recent article by Dr Paraman Subramanian entitled 450,000 stateless Indians in Malaysia, … Read more
I thank Chandra for responding to my commentary on his lambasting of Bersih 3.0. Although the Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI) is reproducing his response in full, there is really very little new in the engagement. Basically Chandra has rehashed his arguments on the far-reaching changes to human rights and political and civil liberties … Read more
Dr Lim Teck Ghee’s attack on me (CPI, 4 May 2012) does not come as a surprise. I would not have bothered to respond to him except that he has raised a couple of points about political change in the country and my stand on the electoral process that need to be rebutted. Are the … Read more
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, speaking at a media conference after his lecture on ‘The Challenges Faced by Muslims Now’ organised by the Terengganu state government on May 3 was reported to have said: “Air Asia fares are so cheap, sometimes free, but it has been able to provide service for the last 10 years. Logically the … Read more
The Barisan Nasional government has announced a minimum wage policy. Mahathir Mohamad, a former prime minister, confessed in The Malay Mail his aversion towards minimum wages and shorter work hours. He argues: 1. Malaysians have “far too many holidays”, implying we work short hours 2. And that’s why productivity is low, because “when we work … Read more
Friends have asked me what prompted the extraordinary hatchet job that Dr Chandra Muzaffar attempted on the Bersih 3.0 movement and its leaders in his recent article misleadingly titled ‘Bersih and the Quest for Human Rights’ published in various media. What was in the article that could be of academic or scholarly value to warrant … Read more
Rencana tentang Skim Persaraan Swasta (PRS) memang patut dibaca oleh lebih ramai rakyat Malaysia yang perlu bersedia untuk masa hadapan mereka. Sejumlah besar pekerja ada mempunyai simpanan di dalam Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) tetapi dengan peningkatan kos sara hidup, jumlah yang terkumpul tidak mencukupi dan perlu ditambah sama ada dengan caruman yang lebih tinggi … Read more