Found in Translation

DESPITE Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Malay press managed to capitalise on some political issues over and above the usual Aidilfitri fare during the week of 27 Sept to 3 Oct 2008. One incident in particular received extra attention: the group of Hindraf supporters who visited Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Aidilfitri open […]

SINCE Selangor exco member and Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok was released from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on 19 Sept 2008, the Chinese media has increased its debate on the law that allows for detention without trial.  On 22 Sept, Low Chee Cheong’s column in the Oriental Daily, titled Papaya Threatening […]

DURING the week of 19 to 25 Sept 2008, the Malay dailies focused largely on Teresa Kok’s detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA), issues of ethnic relations, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to take over government. Kok’s detention and release a week later saw several senior politicians try to mitigate the resultant political […]

FROM 20 to 26 Sept 2008, the Tamil press focused on the Internal Security Act (ISA), especially the Hindraf five, who have been detained without trial under the act. On 22 Sept, Malaysia Nanban reported Kapar Member of Parliament (MP) S Manikavasagam as saying if the Pakatan Rakyat took over the federal government, it would […]

THE much-awaited but unrealised takeover of power on 16 Sept; the resignation of minister in the prime minister’s department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim; and the upcoming MCA elections were the focus of the Chinese press between13 and 18 Sept 2008. On 17 Sept, Kwong Wah Yit Poh columnist Fu Xiang Hong wrote in The Absence of […]

SOME of the most heated discussions in the Malay dailies in the week of 11 to 18 Sept 2008 revolved around 16 Sept and the tussle for power within Umno. On 11 Sept, the dailies reported on the dramatic flight to Taiwan of 49 Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Backbencher’s Club […]

FORCED labour, schooling woes, the Internal Security Act (ISA), and the continuing struggles of Hindraf were highlighted in the Tamil press between 12 and 19 Sept 2008. On 14 Sept, Malaysia Nanban carried the shocking story of an entire family that was sold for RM4,500 into forced labour to a contractor. After escaping from the […]

THE Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers’ trip to Taiwan, the alleged racist remarks of Umno Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail, and the continued relevance of MCA and Gerakan to the community were the focus of the Chinese media for the week between 8 and 11 September 2008. Nanyang.com’s Xia Guo Wen, in an article […]

TAMIL schools, land ownership and identity card issues were the focus of reports in the Tamil press between 6 and 10 Sept 2008. Four of the eight front-page reports in Malaysia Nanban on 6 Sept were about Tamil schools. The main report was on how the MIC became the beneficiary of a three-acre piece of […]

RACE relations stirred up by Umno Bukit Bendara division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s “squatters” remark and his continued refusal to apologise was the main topic covered in the Malay dailies between 6 and 12 Sept. Utusan Malaysia, in an article titled Ahmad Ismail Nafi Sifat Perkauman on 6 Sept, quoted Ahmad as having said: “I […]