Some friends have asked me as to how history will remember Dr Mahathir Mohamad. This has led me to thinking about Ho Chi Minh, Sukarno, Nehru, Lee Kuan Yew and other Asian giants of colonial and post-colonial history, and how Dr Mahathir measures up to them. However, comparing him to other leaders in our … Read more
The official and government-friendly printed media have been carrying column after column on the “water crisis” in Selangor during the past few weeks. Readers will have noticed that the finger of blame for this so-called ‘crisis’ has been pointed towards the Selangor state government and the larger Pakatan Rakyat coalition. The prime minister and his … Read more
Recently, the Selangor state assembly passed a new regulation barring any state representative or local council member from applying for state-owned land. This is a really brave and unprecedented move which deserves more public attention than it has drawn so far. One question is whether the new rule also applies to the members of the … Read more
The debate on the pros and cons of Penang hill development above 250 feet has been dragging on for a long time. Both the BN and the PR governments appear to be afraid or hesitant to allow development above 250 feet so that the issue has taken on a policy ban dimension. Is this policy … Read more
Every few months or so, the subject of selling sand to Singapore flares up in the media. When this happens in the websites, the discussion takes on a polemical turn – with ‘patriots’ proclaiming how disloyal it is to sell sand to our neighbor; how we are selling out our national interests; etc. The latest … Read more
The founding of Proton National Bhd in 1983 was a big expensive mistake to begin with. Billions of ringgit from taxpayers have been lost in the process. The haemorrhage could not be stanched until only recently when Khazanah Nasional Berhad sold off its 43 percent stake in Proton to DRB-Hicom a few months ago. Malaysians … Read more
Although I do not know Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim personally, I have friends who have known him for many years, with a few that know him very well. This analysis of Tunku Aziz is based partly on my discussions with them as well as my analysis of events since his resignation from the DAP. It is … 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 Bersih 3.0 rally at Dataran Merdeka has thankfully passed without any major outbreaks of violence but there are recorded scenes which show how it could have so easily gone the other way. A report by Aljazeera showed bloodied demonstrators and the unwarranted use of teargas and water cannons on sections of the crowd. According … Read more
One of the leading papers in the region, The Nation recently conducted an interview with Burmese President Thein Sein’s chief political adviser, Ko Ko Hlaing. In that exclusive interview, Ko Ko Hlaing told the Bangkok paper that Myanmar’s political reform is “irreversible” because of the president’s strong will. He stressed that the specific constitutional … Read more