Dear all,
I would like to dedicate this open letter to all netizens of Malaysia. This is a desperate plea for you to open your eyes; to see things from a different perspective; to agree to disagree; and to look at the bigger picture.
I will start this letter with my favorite quote from the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama :
Monday, 31 October 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Partisan Budgets
I think a quote by Martin Wolf perfectly encapsulates our nation at this point in time.“Mr Obama wishes to be president of a country that does not exist. In his fantasy US, politicians bury differences in bipartisan harmony. In fact, he faces an opposition that would prefer their country to fail than their president to succeed.”
And I’m not saying that this is unique to Pakatan. A proportionate number of Barisan supporters want to see Lim Guan Eng and Khalid Ibrahim failing in their respective states so that they can use that gambit to win them back.
And I’m not saying that this is unique to Pakatan. A proportionate number of Barisan supporters want to see Lim Guan Eng and Khalid Ibrahim failing in their respective states so that they can use that gambit to win them back.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Towards a developed nation - Sachin Bhanot
"A developed country is one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment."
Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Are we living in a country where neat sterile rows of 80-storey skyscrapers define development? Or are we living in a nation where development is quantified by the moral and social progress of its people? The definition of a developed nation has (and probably always will be) a contentious issue. But as Malaysians, I feel that we should highlight the issues that we consider significant in defining us as a progressive and culturally mature nation.
The March 2008 elections were pivotal in providing a paradigm shift in the mindset of our leaders and, at the same time, heightening the political awareness amongst Malaysians. This has been echoed by the current administration through their acknowledgement that “the days of government knows best are over”. However, with awareness comes great responsibility. Are Malaysians developing towards an apolitical society, focusing on policies and key issues, or towards a society that believes in political rhetoric and mere gossip?
Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Are we living in a country where neat sterile rows of 80-storey skyscrapers define development? Or are we living in a nation where development is quantified by the moral and social progress of its people? The definition of a developed nation has (and probably always will be) a contentious issue. But as Malaysians, I feel that we should highlight the issues that we consider significant in defining us as a progressive and culturally mature nation.
The March 2008 elections were pivotal in providing a paradigm shift in the mindset of our leaders and, at the same time, heightening the political awareness amongst Malaysians. This has been echoed by the current administration through their acknowledgement that “the days of government knows best are over”. However, with awareness comes great responsibility. Are Malaysians developing towards an apolitical society, focusing on policies and key issues, or towards a society that believes in political rhetoric and mere gossip?
Monday, 26 September 2011
Empathy for the Migrant Workers - Melissa Kong
I spent three weeks of my summer break interning in Jakarta. An integral part of my time working there was also spent exploring Jakarta – going out and about to visit all sorts of places, to interact with the people – and to document my experiences. Armed with basic Bahasa Melayu (that has consequentially gone rather rusty thanks to extended periods of disuse) and a camera, I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone to discover what Jakarta had in store for me.
Opium in the Tiger's Lair- Dimishtra
The riots in the UK have been horrific, and they are symptomatic of something even more sinister. Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, remarked that the rioters were just a tiny minority with no ideological justification for such actions. If only.
The truth is policies in the advanced world are increasingly catering to an elite subset of people as opposed to the masses. In a country like the US, which long ago lost any claim to being the land of equality for all, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid cuts are considered acceptable to reduce the deficit but not income taxes for the wealthiest 1%. Can all we see now, unsettled governments and unsettled people, be explained by unequal growth?
The truth is policies in the advanced world are increasingly catering to an elite subset of people as opposed to the masses. In a country like the US, which long ago lost any claim to being the land of equality for all, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid cuts are considered acceptable to reduce the deficit but not income taxes for the wealthiest 1%. Can all we see now, unsettled governments and unsettled people, be explained by unequal growth?
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Politics and the Economy — Amir
The past week’s bloodbath in global capital markets is a startling reminder to investors that political risk is a very serious business. What started as a political grid-lock between opposing political parties was made worst by a minority pressure group holding the debt-ceiling hostage to push through their one-dimensional political agenda based on false facts and a very skewed vision of how their country should be run.
As a result, the US credit rating was downgraded, and investor confidence was badly shaken across the globe, jeopardizing the already fragile global economic growth and inching many economies closer to a double-dip recession.
As a result, the US credit rating was downgraded, and investor confidence was badly shaken across the globe, jeopardizing the already fragile global economic growth and inching many economies closer to a double-dip recession.
The blame game & race-relations in Malaysia — Ainul Aizat
Politics
Our leaders have failed to acknowledge that we are on the verge of a new beginning for our country. Not a new dawn, a crossroads, a new juncture, the beginning of an end – Artificial Racial Harmony.
This superficial peace that we enjoy is under serious threat from what I deem as "terrorists and extremists". This kind of terrorism is more dangerous than the AK-wielding cavemen. These ‘terrorists’ are singing beautiful songs about rights and justice for all Malaysians. We see these songs are even sung in rhythm with Negara Islam, Middle Malaysia or even 1Malaysia. While all those concepts were designed with the best interests at heart, these ‘terrorists’ use it as a mask to propagate their own agenda: power.
Our leaders have failed to acknowledge that we are on the verge of a new beginning for our country. Not a new dawn, a crossroads, a new juncture, the beginning of an end – Artificial Racial Harmony.
This superficial peace that we enjoy is under serious threat from what I deem as "terrorists and extremists". This kind of terrorism is more dangerous than the AK-wielding cavemen. These ‘terrorists’ are singing beautiful songs about rights and justice for all Malaysians. We see these songs are even sung in rhythm with Negara Islam, Middle Malaysia or even 1Malaysia. While all those concepts were designed with the best interests at heart, these ‘terrorists’ use it as a mask to propagate their own agenda: power.
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