*Corrected on 31 May 2011, 10.30am: This was earlier published as “partly free”. THE Barisan Nasional (BN) government is hardly an exemplary proponent of press freedom. Its wide ownership and control of much of the Malaysian press probably contributed to Malaysia’s “not free”* rating in a recent survey by Freedom House, a global press watchdog. […]
cow-head protests
Najib’s version of media freedom
By Shanon Shah“As long as the reports do not run foul of our existing laws, the press is free to report on pretty much anything.” PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, denying that Malaysia lacked press freedom and saying that such accusations were grossly unfair. Najib said this to journalists and the business fraternity before giving out […]
Power, politicians and brutality
By Dr Farish A NoorFOR a region that prides itself for its so-called Asian values, we in Southeast Asia don’t seem to practise what we preach. We talk about how the region’s peoples are peace-loving, but we forget — and we continue to erase and forget — the historical fact that Southeast Asia has been one of the world’s […]
The Malaysian tragicomedy: Life imitating art
By Nick ChooWE know how art can imitate life, but oftentimes in Malaysia, it seems that life can also imitate art. So, what are the 10 ways the Malaysian sociopolitical landscape can be analogous to a theatre performance? 1. Flash factor (Pic by David Ritter / sxc.hu)A production can be boosted by extra-theatrical elements such as […]
