EVER so often, a Barisan Nasional politician will call on the government to ban Facebook or impose stricter controls on the Internet. How much of an assurance, then, is the Multimedia Super Corridor’s Bill of Guarantees against Internet censorship?
Mahathir Mohamad
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Who needs a Treason Act?
By Ding Jo-Ann
DOES Malaysia’s monarchy need special legal protection from insults or ridicule? The Nut Graph asks political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat whether Malaysia needs yet another law to curb freedom of expression and what the impact would be.
Towards national reconciliation
Reductio ad Absurdum by Chan Kheng Hoe
NATIONAL reconciliation requires all our cooperation and input. It cannot just be accomplished by the PM alone. What can be done?
Political mudslinging in GE13
By Ding Jo-Ann
ELECTIONS should be won or lost on issues and policies but sadly, that’s not always the case. Personal attacks and mudslinging are a common feature in Malaysian elections. We take a look at some of the arguments that have been made by politicians wanting to trump their opponents in the run-up to GE13.
MPs and the Islamic state issue
By Ding Jo-AnnSHOULD Malaysia be an Islamic or secular state? The Nut Graph asked 222 MPs this question after the 2008 general election as part of its MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project. Find out what each party in BN and PR thinks about this issue.
The problem with Malay unity
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
One of the exhortations to Malay Malaysian voters as the general election looms is to vote the party that will ensure Malay and Muslim unity. When politicians, academics and royalty start to promote Malay and Muslim unity, are they peddling an ideal for the nation or a dangerous myth for the masses?
“Allah” issue: The battle over Bahasa
Work in Progress by Hwa Yue-Yi
The “Allah” issue is likely to spark partisan jockeying and deep division until we build consensus on a fundamental question. Is our national language of Bahasa Melayu – or is it Bahasa Malaysia – the language of all Malaysians or does it just belong to those who profess Islam and practice Malay customs?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: What if Najib wins?
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE next general election will be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first election as head of the Barisan Nasional (BN). Najib will also be leading the BN into its first general election after its worst election performance in March 2008. The Nut Graph asks political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat on how well Najib […]
Liberal, Muslim, feminist, and comfortable
By Shanon Shah
DATIN Paduka Marina Mahathir is a renowned and often controversial Malaysian activist, writer, and commentator. She has worked in a variety of fields, from heading the Malaysian AIDS Council, to kicking off the successful feminist television programme 3R, to holding a bi-weekly column in The Star. She is currently a board member for Muslim women’s […]
Siapa Melayu?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF it is true that Malay-rights group Perkasa was able to sabotage the government’s New Economic Model, hence obstructing much-needed reforms for the nation, what is this telling us? It tells us that if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is so easily held ransom by right-wing race-based groups, it is not fit to govern multiracial […]
