THE Egypt protests have dominated prime-time news for over two weeks now. After 30 years in power and initially refusing to accede to protestors‘ demands for him to leave, President Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 Feb 2011 after 18 days of nationwide demonstrations. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned Malaysians that demonstrations would […]
protests
The police doth protest too much
By Tarani PalaniCANDLELIGHT vigils on the night of 1 Aug 2010 to protest against 50 years of the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for indefinite state detention without trial, were marred with arrests and heavy police presence. In Petaling Jaya, around 200 protesters gathered for the vigil in Dataran Timur opposite Amcorp Mall from 8pm onwards. […]
WAO: No hidden agenda
By Ding Jo-AnnKUALA LUMPUR, 17 Sept 2009: The Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) has strongly denied any hidden agenda in calling for concrete action to be taken against the rape of Penan women and girls, as implied by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. In a statement today, the WAO stressed that it was part of its responsibility as […]
Clamping down on students
By Zedeck SiewSPEAKING at the Muslim Students Leadership Convention on 26 July 2009, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he wanted “to see student leaders with dynamic and healthy minds in terms of airing views and opinions”. “I just hope that you can uphold the principle of intellectual honesty in assessing and scrutinising certain issues which […]
Demonstrations
By The Nut Graph teamTHE 1 Aug 2009 anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) street rally attracted big crowds scattered around the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The throng of people easily numbered 20,000 but could have been more. Demonstrators sported headbands, T-shirts and banners that decried the draconian law. They called for the Act, which allows for indefinite state detention without […]
Funding democracy, the BN way
By Jacqueline Ann Surin(Permatang Pauh by-election pic by Danny Lim) SINCE the historic March 2008 general election, it has become clearer to Malaysians that democracy is messy and expensive. Indeed, any politician who tries to convince the rakyat that democracy is an easy and frugal affair is guilty of trying to fool the masses. But what have we […]
Najib arrives in Pattaya for Asean Summit
PATTAYA, 10 April 2009: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrived here today to attend the 14th Asean Summit and related summits, his first overseas official visit since taking over the helm of the government a week ago. The government jet carrying the premier and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, took off from […]
Act allows varsity students at anti-Israel protests
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Jan 2009: University students and their institutions can organise and participate in protests against the Israeli invasion of Palestine, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today. He said the ministry had no objection to the students and universities staging such a protest as the amended Universities and University Colleges […]
The perils of social action
By Sim Kwang YangParticipants of the candlelight vigil commemorating the first anniversary of the 2007 Bersih rally I WAS surprised by the brute force used by the police when dispersing the 9 Nov 2008 candlelight vigil organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih). They arrested 23 participants, including a Member of Parliament, a state assemblyperson, […]
Leadership changes merely cosmetic: Hishamuddin Rais
By Khairil AnharKuala Lumpur, 14 Nov 2008: Filmmaker, writer and Reformasi activist Hishamuddin Rais said that changes in the country’s leadership don’t necessarily bring about fundamental transformations. Speaking at a forum yesterday entitled Reformasi’lah! Membincangkan (lagi) 10 Tahun Reformasi Malaysia dan Indonesia, Hishamuddin said that changes in leadership are merely cosmetic rather than structural. “The change of […]