CPI’s introduction We received a letter of complaint on public healthcare services in Negeri Sembilan. A ruling has been issued stating that blood tests for many medical conditions can no longer be carried out by the government hospitals and clinics in the state. We are reproducing the complainant’s letter in its original Bahasa Malaysia … Read more
CPI forewordThe Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) application for a reinstatement of the injunction against Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) operations will be heard in the federal Appeal Court tomorrow (Dec 19). SMSL filed for a judicial review on a court decision to lift the injunction on the LAMP temporary operating licence earlier obtained by … Read more
The Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has stated that his vision of 1Malaysia is intended to counter the growing national divide between Malaysians on race, religion and other sensitive socio-cultural issues. He has also argued that the aim of the vision is to strengthen national unity on the basis of inclusiveness – “this policy means that … Read more
A recent survey revealing Malaysia tops 30 countries where business was lost because a bribe was not offered is merely confirming a Malaysian folklore. It is common knowledge that corruption occurs across a wide section of Malaysian society from the top to the bottom. A royal commission into the police not long ago has … Read more
Perbualan bersama-sama seorang rakan yang telah menjalani pembedahan merawat penyakit kanser yang dikesan di kakinya pada tahun dahulu membawa kami merenung bagaimana nasib mereka yang mengalami keadaan yang serupa tetapi tidak berkemampuan mendapatkan rawatan yang sewajarnya. Dia sendiri telah diberitahu setelah menjalani pemeriksaan x-ray baru-baru ini bahawa sel kanser didapati telah merebak ke bahagian paru-parunya. … Read more
The latest gimmick by Lynas to demonstrate that its rare earth ore is safe while it has finally conceded that the radioactive waste cannot be shipped out of Malaysia is just a poor attempt to salvage its tarnished reputation, said the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas campaign yesterday. SMSL spokesperson Tan Bun Teet said, “It goes … Read more
As the countdown to the general election begins in earnest, we are getting more and more calls from desperate and irresponsible politicians drawing attention to the possibility of a repeat of the infamous May 13 violence if the election results should go against the expectations of various political parties and interests. The fact that these … Read more
CPI Introduction The following below is an account of public flogging under an Islamic system in Pakistan. It is an eyewitness’s description which should provide pause for those who want to see Islamic norms prevail in our judicial system. However, it should be noted that even under our present British-derived justice system, flogging or … Read more
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 … Read more
The recently announced National Education Blueprint contains nothing new. And it shows the powers-that-be have no real intention to listen to the public or make any bold reforms to our ailing education system. It is a repetition of the sad old story about racial prejudice, not much different from the so-called ‘National’ Education Policy which … Read more