The prime minister’s office in Putrajaya (Public domain; source: Wiki commons) PETALING JAYA, 30 June 2009: Malay Malaysians are the group least ready to accept a non-male, non-Malay or non-Muslim as prime minister, a Merdeka Center for Opinion Research survey has found. Of the 2,518 randomly selected Malaysian youths aged between 20 and 35 polled […]
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Watching Malaysia change
By Zedeck SiewUpdated 22 June 2009, 5.16pm DATUK Ambiga Sreenevasan’s reference point for how aware Malaysians are about issues is the taxi driver. The respected lawyer and former Malaysian Bar president is no stranger to being scolded by taxi drivers while she is dressed up in her courtroom garb. “‘Aiya, this judiciary, can buy,’ one told me,” […]
Divided we stand
By Wong Chin HuatLET’s think about the following key words in Malaysian politics: unity government, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Chin Peng, government or PSD scholarships, Utusan Malaysia, and the language in education policy. What comes to your mind? Ethnocentrism? Religious fundamentalism? National disunity? Who hasn’t lamented about why our nation cannot be spared such ethno-religious polemics? Why can’t […]
Muthupalaniappan’s about-turn
By Gan Pei Ling“I feel that Samy Vellu should be challenged in the interest of MIC, the Barisan Nasional and the [Indian Malaysian] community.” Former MIC vice-president Datuk M Muthupalaniappan, when he announced in November 2008 that he would challenge party president and former ally Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu for the March 2009 presidential nomination. (Source: MIC […]
The hybrid-Malay Malaysian dilemma
By Shanon ShahDR Farish Noor is a prolific academic. The founder of The Other Malaysia project writes on the politics of Malaysia, Indonesia, Islamism, and old Malay hikayats with gusto and insight. He has been published everywhere. Well, nearly. It makes one wonder what he does to de-stress. “I repair old batik, I knit and I stitch,” […]
MIC to meet Indian Malaysian-based parties
PUTRAJAYA, 10 June 2009: MIC, the country’s largest Indian Malaysian-based political party, will meet and hold discussions with other Indian Malaysian-based parties in the country. However, the move was not to merge with them but to work with the parties on a long-term basis in a win-win situation, said MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy […]
PAS Supporters Club split
By Deborah LohKUALA LUMPUR, 4 June 2009: The PAS Supporters Club or Kelab Penyokong PAS (KPP) for non-Muslims has been separated into Indian and Chinese clubs, but this has not received final approval from the party’s central working committee. Outgoing PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said the separation was a trial to find the best mechanism for […]
Najib’s approval ratings up (Updated)
By Zedeck SiewUpdated 1 June 2009 at 5.45pm PETALING JAYA, 1 June 2009: Forty-five percent of voters from peninsular Malaysia are satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, according to a recent survey by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research. The survey, the first to be conducted since Najib came into power in […]
Gerakan urges Indian M’sian unity
By Gan Pei LingPETALING JAYA, 11 May 2009: Gerakan has urged Indian Malaysians to unite, and invited the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders who were recently released from Internal Security Act detention to join in this quest. Gerakan vice-president A Kohilan Pillay called on all parties to look beyond the divisions and tribulations of the past […]
Umno Penang confident of Malay M’sian voters
By Regina WilliamGEORGE TOWN, 21 April 2009: Umno Penang is confident Malay [Malaysian] voters in Penanti would return to the Barisan Nasional (BN) fold, as witnessed during the Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang by-elections on 7 April. Umno Penang secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim, who is also the Opposition Leader, said it was only a matter of time […]