KARPAL Singh. Lim Guan Eng. Raja Petra Kamaruddin. Wong Chin Huat. These individuals have all been arrested or charged under Malaysia’s draconian Sedition Act. The Act was passed in 1948, at the height of the British colonial government’s struggle against the communists. But more than 60 years later, the wide-ranging and subjective law is still being used, whenever it’s convenient, to silence political opponents.
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The parade of “Muslim sensitivities”: Where is it taking us?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
AND so Perkasa has made the news again. And this time by its own doing, not because a media bent on sensationalism tried to cultivate the Malay nationalist group in order to increase readership. In the latest of Perkasa moves, its Petaling chairperson, Zainal Abidin Ahmad, lodged a police report against a Protestant church in […]
Criticising the monarchy
By Shanon Shah“Because the Rajas so easily handed over Singapore, Penang and Pangkor to the colonialists and then the Malay states, the People (“rakyat”) could no longer accept a system that only gives power to the Rajas and the People are not given any role in the country’s politics.” FORMER Umno president and Prime Minister Tun Dr […]
Road to an absolute monarchy?
By Wong Chin HuatTan Sri Arifin Zakaria, one of the judges on the Perak menteri besar caseREMEMBER these names: Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria, Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Datuk Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong. They have fundamentally transformed the nature and prospects of the Malaysian state with their 9 Feb […]
Perak: Losing confidence
By Ding Jo-AnnIT is a cardinal rule in the game of musical chairs that once someone has occupied a seat, no one else can validly sit in it. The Federal Court however, appears to think otherwise in declaring the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir the rightful Perak Menteri Besar. This is despite the […]
Obituarising the Sultan of Johor
By Ding Jo-AnnThe late Sultan of Johor (© Masami Takakuwa | Wiki Commons) SULTAN Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, one of Malaysia’s most controversial rulers, passed away on 22 Jan 2010 at the age of 77. The late Johor Sultan will be remembered for many things, one of which would be when he got off his podium […]
11 cases brought to court under CMA
CYBERJAYA, 21 Oct 2009: Eleven cases have been taken to court under Section 211 and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 involving fines amounting to RM24,500 from last year until now. Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said they consisted of six cases of posting comments […]
Tengku Muhammad Faris appointed acting ruler
KOTA BARU, 25 May 2009: The Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra has been appointed acting ruler of Kelantan. The declaration was made by State Secretary Datuk Aiseri Alias to enable Tengku Muhammad Faris to perform the duties of the Sultan of Kelantan as required under Article 22A of the State Constitution. He […]
K’tan sultan stable, to seek treatment in S’pore
KOTA BARU, 23 May 2009: The Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra Ibni Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra, is reported to be in stable condition following treatment for a heart ailment, and will leave for further treatment in Singapore. The sultan, who has been receiving treatment at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian […]
Sivakumar mum on assembly issues
By Surin MurugiahIPOH, 6 May 2009: Two members of the Perak state assembly claim to be the menteri besar, but speaker V Sivakumar remained tight-lipped about how they would be seated when the House assembles on 7 May. Current Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who was appointed by the Perak Sultan on 6 […]
