Category: Contributors

             picture courtesy of Malaysiakini Bullets can kill criminals but not the social conditions that create shame and violence. The psychological scars of shame derive from racial discrimination and ultimately, it is socioeconomic equity that will reduce this shame and hence the violence. Suicide, of whatever cause, is always tragic. The iconic self-burning… Continue reading Seetha’s death reveals hidden injury of the underclass

The current friction between the Ong Tee Keat and Chua Soi Lek factions invokes a déjà vu recalling the challenge by Lim Ah Lek to Ling Liong Sik. History is repeating itself as the earlier fight similarly saw Umno imposing a peace formula upon Teams A and B, the emergence of a third force and… Continue reading Tussle between MCA top two — Redux

The Malay seize mentality has only exacerbated the drop-out syndrome, resulting in members of the community succumbing to social ills. For long-term survival of race, continued dependency on the deceptive notion of government crutches is not tenable. This is an attempt to try to answer the recent question posed by Prime Minister Najib Razak as… Continue reading Najib on NEP at Umno assembly misses the mark

  The urban poor are entitled to claim their rightful share of development benefits as citizens, and these include public transport and health care, as well as recreational facilities affordable for all. Neo-liberal politics in the last two decades has greatly accelerated disparity in investment among cities in favour of the financially competitive as well… Continue reading Social and spatial justice for slum and city dwellers

  The book ‘Multiethnic Malaysia – Past, Present and Future’ was officially launched at University College Sedaya International (UCSI) on Oct 16. It is a compilation of essays edited by Dr Lim Teck Ghee, Dr Alberto Gomes and Dr Azly Rahman, and published by UCSI and SIRD. The book launch was hosted by the Malaysian… Continue reading 1Malaysia, Bangsa Malaysia or multiethnic Malaysia?

  Below is my response to the Malay Mail piece entitled ‘Daulat Tuanku! What it means’ (Oct 12, 2009) by Rusdi Mustapha which contains unwarranted allegations that the Centre for Policy Initiatives is anti-monarchy. In it, the columnist alludes to an English translation of my blog post, ‘Menyeru seruan Daulat Tuanku’, carried in the CPI… Continue reading The People are King

To make an impact in the online public square, it still falls back on the ability to ask the right questions and for this, one needs education and expertise. ‘What is needful is for blogosphere to mature and evolve into a space for mature discourse whilst not eschewing provision of alternate information and debates.’ It… Continue reading Reduced to twitterings? Oh no!

  Global investors are not going to put money into the country if the government does not address the Malaysian resource curse.   Pump priming: Wrong diagnosis Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the government will prime the economy with an additional RM1 billion monthly till the end of 2010 in a bid to… Continue reading Malaysia catches the Dutch Disease

Apartheid was officially defined in South Africa as ‘separate development’. But apartheid is really an elite regime with concentration of power in the hands of a few.

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang blogged on Sunday that two racist books were distributed in the Bagan Pinang constituency that incited communal hatred and animosity against Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Kit Siang said scurrilous and baseless allegations were directed at Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for purportedly sidelining and betraying the… Continue reading 1Bank, 2 interest rates – for Bumi & for ‘nons’