Kita imbas kembali sejarah. Mengikut catatan sejarah sejak kurun ke-18 lagi, rata-rata orang Melayu hidup dalam keadaan daif dan naif. Dalam rekodnya, Hikayat Abdullah (1840), Abdullah Munsyi (1796-1854) telah membuat pemerhatian bahawa antara penyebab kemunduran bangsa Melayu ialah pemikiran masyarakat Melayu itu sendiri. Majoriti orang Melayu berpegangan kolot terhadap beberapa adat, kepercayaan dan budaya … Read more
Every year, during the first two or three days of fasting, I suffer from headaches. That is because my blood sugar level drops. Thank God this will go away after the 3rd day of fasting. Low blood sugar level may cause hypoglycemia. In some cases, symptoms of hypoglycemia include impaired judgment; irritability; belligerence; confusion; … Read more
Rukunegara yang diistiharkan pada 31 Ogos 1970 akan merayakan ulangtahun ke-40. Rukunegara adalah satu wawasan dilahirkan akibat peristiwa gelap dalam sejarah negara kita. Ianya merupakan satu usaha murni bagi mengatasi sikap dan prasangka perkauman yang terpendam dalam masyarkat pada masa itu. Para pemerintah [the state] dan rakyat telah berikrar akan berpandu kepada kepercayaan dan prinsip-prinsip … Read more
Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 (RMK10) ialah dokumen yang setebal 449 mukasurat dibentangkan baru-baru ini yang merangkumi pembangunan semua sektor negara, termasuk keselamatan. Akan tetapi apa yang menghairankan, ianya tidak langsung menyentuh perbelanjaan bagi pembangunan dan keupayaan pertahanan. Berdasarkan maklumat am yang dikeluarkan, umum mengetahui bahawa sektor keselamatan diberikan 10% dari RM230 bilion peruntukan rancangan pembangunan … Read more
Although the Malay ultra nationalists may deny it, nonetheless the way they talk and behave are no less racist than the whites of South Africa during apartheid. Despite Umno’s endless denial of an apartheid approach to race relations, the Malay-only party differs only in the degree of its racial segregation policies. In truth, Umno … Read more
In a criticism of the MCA president’s recent statements about Islam in Malaysia, a Malaysian blog (Sakmongkol) made the claim that ‘Umno stands for moderation’. This claim can be disputed. It can be disputed by showing that the state of Malaysia’s political and economic democracy, as well as religious orientation, is affected by the … Read more
As a ‘non’ – non-Malay, non-Muslim, non-‘son of the soil’, I often ask myself why I am cast to one side of a hierarchical dualistic world. To be born a ‘non’ is to be condemned to seek freedom from the chains of. To self-reliant and adopt adult self-responsibility from an early age. To be … Read more
Di dalam keghairahan mendapat perhatian di dalam media dan sokongan masyarakat umum yang berada di atas pagar dan mereka yang benar-benar tidak mendapat maklumat sebenar, Perkasa telah menggunakan kaedah menjadikan seorang mangsa sebagai kambing hitam. Persoalannya siapakah yang benar-benar layak di kambing-hitamkan? Akhirnya, individu yang ‘bertuah’ tersebut ialah Helen Ang, seorang wanita berbangsa Tionghua … Read more
The fate of Thailand’s fiercely contested democracy raises the spectre of rising authoritarianism in Southeast Asia. If Thai democracy fails and ends up under a draconian regime akin to its chequered past of military-authoritarian rule, an arc of authoritarianism would grip mainland Southeast Asia in view of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Such a … Read more
Background The IMF, under Article IV of its Articles of Agreement, holds bilateral discussions annually with its Member countries. These discussions are in the nature of a review of member country economic policies, recent economic developments, IMF staff assessments of prospects and the presentation of policy recommendations. A report is then prepared for presentation … Read more