Economists point to the huge government debts and deteriorating fiscal position, while NGOs say Malaysia’s widening gap between rich and poor, and ongoing ethno-exclusive pro-Malay policies must end. Malaysian lawyer and activist, Haris Ibrahim thinks 40 percent of Malaysians live below the poverty line. Mr Haris, who’s a member of the movement, Anything But UMNO,… Continue reading Anything but UMNO: Movement calls for change in Malaysia
Month: October 2013
‘Allah’ issue about Malayisation and Islamisation of Malaysia
Nesrine Malik of The Guardian hit the nail on the head when she said the Allah ban “is less about religion than about putting the non-Malay minorities in their place . . .” It’s about Umno-Malays domination and their claim to the exclusive right to set the country’s agenda, riding roughshod over the concerns of… Continue reading ‘Allah’ issue about Malayisation and Islamisation of Malaysia
Prisoner of conscience Uthaya paying dearly for defying the government
CPI introduction We are reproducing below the letter of P. Uthayakumar addressed to the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, and Home Minister, Zahid Hamidi, describing the horrific conditions of his imprisonment in Kajang Prison. No prisoner in our country – or indeed any other civilized country – deserves such brutal and abusive treatment. It is clear… Continue reading Prisoner of conscience Uthaya paying dearly for defying the government
The roots of poverty in Sabah, Sarawak in Malaysia exposed!
Without much further ado, I will delve immediately into the subject proper of my paper in conjunction with the forthcoming national budget 2014 which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who is also the Finance Minister. Please bear with me. I will keep my address as brief as possible so that… Continue reading The roots of poverty in Sabah, Sarawak in Malaysia exposed!
Dilemma of our justice system where overwhelming majority of judges are Muslims
The judgment of the Court of Appeal on the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Herald (the Catholic weekly) Bahasa Malaysia edition raises a very fundamental question affecting the Malaysian justice system. The question is whether our courts, particularly the Appellate Courts, namely the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court where the majority… Continue reading Dilemma of our justice system where overwhelming majority of judges are Muslims
Muslim judges’ decision all politics, no law
CPI introduction We are reproducing two newspaper articles which have appeared in response to the ruling by the Court of Appeal banning the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Herald. The first article from the Borneo Insider provides a succinct analysis of the political underpinnings and ramifications of the COA decision and the costly… Continue reading Muslim judges’ decision all politics, no law
Where is Sombath Somphone?
Thursday 10 Oct 2013, marks 300 days of the disappearance of Sombath Somphone, one of Lao PDR’s most prominent activists. Sombath is a long-time and good friend. In the late 1970s, he and I were part of a small group of human rights activists and social critics from the Southeast Asian region who met regularly… Continue reading Where is Sombath Somphone?
Separatist tendencies in Sabah put Putrajaya on edge
Hardly three years after the World Bank used Malaysian government figures to underline in Kota Kinabalu in Dec 2010 that Sabah and Sarawak were the poorest states in Malaysia, “I am Malay First” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin turned up in the Sabah capital on Mon 30 Sept and declared that “Malaysia has… Continue reading Separatist tendencies in Sabah put Putrajaya on edge
Sabah, Sarawak 50 Years in Malaysia plagued by bad politics
If there’s one central theme emerging from an International Forum on Malaysia in Kota Kinabalu the Sabah capital on Saturday (Oct 5), it was that Sabah and Sarawak’s 50 years in Malaysia – 1963 to 2013 – has been plagued by more than its fair share of bad politics. The gathering ‘International Forum 2013 Malaysia… Continue reading Sabah, Sarawak 50 Years in Malaysia plagued by bad politics
Chin Peng, an obituary
The passing of Chin Peng in Bangkok on 16 September 2013 brings to an end one of the longest of Asian political biographies. Chin Peng became the Secretary General and effective leader of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), the country’s oldest political party, in 1947 when he was only 22. He retained that position… Continue reading Chin Peng, an obituary