Category: Media Monitor

  The nation The problem begins with the nation-state ideal; for its coherence depends on there being a people deemed as the rightful owners of a land. It is rooted to the belief that territory is property – a thing to own – and that loyalty to the people means, among other things, the readiness… Continue reading The pathologies of Malay nationalism

Housewife Fawziah Abdul wants to thank former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad for making her a citizen 10 years after she illegally slipped into Borneo from the southern Philippines in search of a better life. The 50-year-old lives on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, where her tin-roofed shack jostles… Continue reading Migrants, church may end Malaysia government’s Borneo vote bank

  CPI foreword During the past few months, Umno and its hatchet organizations and supporters have launched a concerted series of attacks on Suaram, the human rights organization. The latest of these attacks have involved the despicable use of what should be politically neutral state authorities such as the Companies Commission, social security agency Perkeso… Continue reading Umno’s unscrupulous vendetta against Suaram

  Islamic educator, Salah Salman: “A secular society is not a godless society. It is a society that respects pluralism and the peaceful coexistence of those for whom faith is a fundamental part of life, and those who reject religion.” CPI Introduction In his conclusion on the rise in Islamic education in Malaysia which appeared… Continue reading Whither Islamic education in Malaysia ?

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… Continue reading Bespectacled red dragon tops the class

  Proposed measures in the new Trans-Pacific trade pact that the Malaysian government is negotiating this week could restrict Pacific nations from preventing and mitigating financial crises. Beginning March 1, the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP)–a proposed treaty by the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam—is being negotiated in Australia.… Continue reading Malaysia needs to maintain tools for capital controls

It was quite a day. Last Saturday Kuala Lumpur saw two foolish men destroy not only themselves, the government that they lead and their remaining reputation for political sagacity and moderation. They also ended what was left of the indispensable myth of a benign Malaysia. Unhappily for Malaysia, its fate and future these last two… Continue reading Heavy policing will continue post-Bersih?

We speak these days of modern political “dynasties”. The Bhuttos in Pakistan, the Nehru-Gandhis in India, the Bandaranaikes in Sri Lanka, and now perhaps also the Lees in Singapore come readily to mind. But strictly speaking these are not dynasties, sovereign and commanding ruling houses. Rather, they are closely-knit and often locally or regionally focused… Continue reading The generation of change

Introduction by CPI Today, the younger generation all over the developing world – even where governments have done relatively well in meeting the challenges of socio-economic development – are subjecting their leaders to even more scrutiny than ever. From Beijing to Singapore to Tripoli, they are asking hard questions especially of who are the beneficiaries… Continue reading S’pore story: What do young voters want?

CPI introduction: This is precisely what Rejal is now doing. [CPI note: Former Berita Harian group editor Ahmad Rejal Arbee wrote an article titled ‘Rakyat patriotik patut bangga bertutur guna bahasa Melayu’ on Feb 3]. ***************************** Language and national patriotism: Utusan’s and Berita Harian’s Divisive Role Clive Kessler The Malay language will only achieve its… Continue reading Language and national patriotism: Utusan’s and Berita Harian’s Divisive Role