EDITORIAL Gilo adds to the gloom
JUST two days after his inauguration, US President Barack Obama appointed former Senator George Mitchell as his special envoy and quickly sent him to the Middle East to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Obama won praise and rekindled hopes of peace in the Middle East with his speech at Cairo University in June. He also brought together Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks in New York in September. But Obama's high-sounding words and the extensive diplomatic efforts to revive peace negotiations have yet to achieve any results. In many respects, things have got worse, and there are signs of strained relations between Obama and Netanyahu, as suggested by the last-minute scheduling, minimal media exposure, the lack of warmth, the absence of photos, and the bland statement about their 100-minute closed-door meeting at the White House earlier this month.
JOHN TEO A long-standing political contest laid to rest
THE quiet passing of Datuk Abang Yusuf Puteh last week closed a tumultuous chapter in the early years of the long tenure of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
HARDEV KAUR Maxis' return gives Bursa Malaysia new hope
SINCE Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced in July that the foreign shareholders, Saudi Telecom, in Malaysia's telecommunications giant were "very seriously" considering relisting Maxis on the local bourse, there has been a buzz among potential investors, both local and foreign.
EDITORIAL Extending BN's reach
THE "Friends of Barisan Nasional" notion is the latest incarnation of that mythic thing: an idea that must await its time. The principle has existed since the birth of party politics in this country, with Umno founder Datuk Onn Jaafar's radical proposal for his new party to accept the associate membership of non-Malays. Stillborn in 1946, the idea resurfaced in the 1960s as the "Alliance Direct Membership Organisation" or Admo, which was dissolved on the establishment of Barisan Nasional in 1971. Just a year ago, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi floated the idea again at a Gerakan assembly, suggesting that BN's most prominent multiracial component party pave the way for an aracial approach to coalition membership.
JOHN TEO Keeping the peace with a soft touch
CRAFTING a functioning, not to say an effective, cabinet anywhere in Malaysia is never an easy proposition. There are so many variables to be taken into consideration, not all of them necessarily germane to the mammoth task expected of the top executive body in each state as well as the Federal Government.
EDITORIAL: The bully laid bare
THE Palestinians have been saying it all the while. Now, the Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, has published what is probably the most damning evidence of the atrocities committed by the Israeli military against civilians in Gaza. On Sept 9, B'Tselem released its findings into three weeks of fighting -- murder might be the better word -- from Dec 28, 2008, when the Israeli military steamrolled into the Gaza Strip to punish Hamas fighters for firing rockets into Israeli territory, killing several Israeli civilians. The operation, according to B'Tselem, resulted in the death of 1,387 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians. It said 773 civilians, including 320 children and 109 women over 18, were killed.
EDITORIAL No justice in mob justice
IT was an excellent example of courage, cooperation and common purpose. On Wednesday, a workshop owner who had been robbed 10 days earlier spotted two men, who looked like the robbers, in a car. Several tow-truck operator friends fanned out to help him search for them. The police, too, were informed. When the car was spotted in Ampang Jaya, everyone converged there. The duo accelerated, but were cornered in Pandan Indah. The suspects put up a fight as the policemen, who had arrived by then, pulled them out of the car. That's when the law-abiding citizens turned into vengeful vigilantes, raining blows on the duo, badly injuring one of them.
DAILY DISPATCHES: Why they lust for a RCI over Teoh Beng Hock’s death and not an inquest Online Exclusive
THE Opposition, the DAP in particular, never had it this good. Just as the Pakatan Rakyat alliance was hitting the apex of its unholy existence and the three parties’ kinship began disintegrating from a self-styled civil war, Teoh Beng Hock’s tragically untimely death arrived gift-wrapped; a heaven-sent to help sidestep legal and internecine woes, and an opportunity to regroup against the primary foe, the Barisan Nasional.
EDITORIAL The joy of citizenship
SOME wept openly; others hugged members of their family or friends. Joy and pride played on their faces. And why not?
EDITORIAL Rest in peace,mango uncle
ALL Malaysians, documented or otherwise, would surely have felt a pang of remorse on hearing of the passing of 99-year-old Chong Yik Sheng just days before he would have received from the Home Ministry the birth certificate for which he had waited nearly a century. In the all-too-brief time between his case coming to light and his demise, "mango uncle", a good-humoured old man who attributed his longevity to "looking at pretty girls", became an icon of this most longstanding of national issues: citizenship.
EDITORIAL Go, Spidey ,go to Dubai
THE man is a climbing fool. Alain Robert has free-climbed 85 buildings in his 47 years, beginning with his family house when he was 12 and culminating (for now) atop the spire of Petronas Tower 2 last Tuesday -- a feat little short of miraculous to anyone who could not understand how free climbers do what they do, or why. As that would include most of us, the incredible Monsieur Robert merits the "Spiderman" nickname he's earned in his years of globetrotting in search of iconic buildings on which to push the limits not just of free climbing, but of the laws of the many lands he has thrilled and irritated with these daredevil exploits.
EDITORIAL Regional readiness
THE Pacific and Indian Ocean tectonic plates are a-stir. In the wake of the earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclonic storms of recent days, medical, relief and clean-up crews are picking through sodden rubble and shattered ruins from Samoa and Pago-Pago to the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and now, again, Sumatra. The temblor that struck off Padang on Wednesday evening was felt on our peninsular west coast, and the aftershocks several hours later startled Singaporeans. Not until the devastating Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 had earthquakes in the region ever been felt on Malaysian territory, but since then they have been almost commonplace. For aeons, the massive bulk of Sumatra has buffered the peninsula from the Earth's shifting crust under the eastern Indian Ocean. Palpably, no longer. Why this should be so is a mystery, but perhaps Malaysians should no longer be quite so smug about their homeland being spared the storms and volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
EDITORIAL Crippled thinking
HOW'S this for irony? Last August's 5th Asean Paralympic Games were slated to be held next January in Laos, which regretfully declined the honour because of "inexperience in providing disability-accessible venue adaptations for disabled athletes". As a result, that edition of the region's premier sporting event for the disabled was held here, Malaysia's 258-member contingent competed in 11 events, broke four games records in track and field, powerlifting and bowling, and emerged second in the final medal tally with 40 gold, 39 silver and 23 bronze. No complaints surfaced then about less-than-satisfactory disabled access to athletes' accommodations and events venues, but something appears sadly amiss at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur in the run-up to the Malaysian Open in wheelchair tennis next month. For national-level tennis players, including medallists at previous Paralympics, to be made to bunk down on mats in a locker room is quite shameful.
EDITORIAL Resource ownership
MALAYSIA'S offshore oil and gas resources belong to the nation. This is the principle underlying the thorny matter of wang ehsan, raised now in respect of Kelantan, and immediately importing to that state the controversies revolving around the issue in neighbouring Terengganu. To recap, wang ehsan -- a gratuity granted to the states where national offshore petroleum resources come ashore -- was instituted nine years ago, after the Terengganu government had been wrested away from Barisan Nasional by Pas. Until then, Terengganu's five per cent cut of offshore oil and gas revenues was simply considered a "royalty". Those funds, amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit annually, had been naturally channelled to the state through its BN administration in an all-but-seamless nexus with the federal centre.
AHMAD A. TALIB: A speech befitting a fighting president
ON Tuesday, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had his audience in stitches when he gave an off-the-cuff pre-council briefing to delegates attending the annual Umno general assembly.
ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR Tussle threatens to sink BN's vote hope
The sacking of MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek could see more Chinese support for the opposition, making it tougher for Barisan Nasional to recapture the
non-Malay vote, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR
EDITORIAL: Curb their enthusiasm
THE authorities' feelings on this country's track record on road safety can be summed up in one word: exasperation.
JOHN TEO Tug-of-war over fate of the Penans
RAPE is, of course, one of the most despicable crimes a person can commit against another. Yet it happens with some regularity. But some rapes or allegations of rape raise our hackles more than others.
ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR Is the desire to patch up for real?
IT'S interesting to see where the MCA is heading now that its two clashing titans have decided to work hand in hand to stabilise the party they themselves had caused to split.
ZAINUL ARIFIN Challenge of budgeting for growth
THE annual Budget is more than a laundry list of tax or duty cuts, or goodies, though many of us approach it as such -- great if it announces cheaper goods or services, and ho hum if it does not.
JOHN TEO Now the whole world is her oyster...
FOR middle-aged people like myself, opportunities to interact and hear and see what makes our youths tick are few. The chance to sit down over a leisurely lunch with a Malaysian scholar the other day was a rare privilege indeed.
HARDEV KAUR All eyes on the rising factory to the world
THE emergence of China, and especially its economic power, is being closely watched not only by developed nations but also the world's second-largest economy -- Japan.
JOHN TEO The spirit that binds our people
AS another Merdeka Day approaches, my wish is that all Malaysians ponder and reflect anew as to where we collectively as a nation are headed. We must do so with real honesty and humility.
ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR: Ong woos grassroots with mooncakes
Coming down to the wire for the MCA extraordinary general meeting, the Mid-Autumn Festival is offering opportunities for the protagonists to get their message to the grassroots, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR
HARDEV KAUR Despite economic meltdown, Malaysia on right path
MUSLIMS celebrate Hari Raya Puasa over the weekend joined by their non-Muslim friends, countrymen and women. In keeping with the unique Malaysian tradition, the open houses will be patronised by people of different races, cultures, faiths and political affiliations.
JOHN TEO Umno works hard to be the 'natural' choice
FOLLOWING the proceedings of the Umno general assembly last week, one felt astonishment at the remarkable ability of the country's premier political party to renew, reform and reinvent itself after the severe setback it suffered in the 12th general election.
HARDEV KAUR No easy road to delivering on promises made
MALAYSIA marked the 52nd anniversary of Independence on Monday. The ceremonies might have been low-key, but there is much for Malaysians to celebrate, and yet much more to do. Tremendous progress has been made in the past five decades, but the road ahead is still long. Malaysia has set its sights on being a developed nation by 2020 and rising to greater heights.
JOHN TEO Resolving the schisms of SUPP
DESPITE everything for which Umno is pilloried, the party's one great redeeming constant is the political accountability represented by predictable leadership changes following established party conventions.
JOHN TEO Opposition circus comes to Sarawak
IN the days and weeks after last year's general election, as the grim toll set in for Barisan Nasional, doomsday scenarios were not uncommon in Sarawak BN when contemplating the state's own election down the road, which will almost inevitably become some sort of a "mid-term poll" for a humbled BN.
JOHN TEO Time Taib considered successor issue
IT is a rather backhanded tribute to the political genius of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud that in the twilight of his nearly three decades in power, he still runs the state without facing any personal need or political pressure to anoint a clear successor.
HARDEV KAUR Asean must not lose sight of its trade interests
THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which marked its 42nd anniversary on Aug 8, has been described as the most successful regional grouping of developing countries.
HARDEV KAUR: Asia leads global recovery, stimulus still needed
THE global economy has been pulled back from the brink. The world has been saved from a 1930s-style depression. The massive stimulus boost provided by governments around the world seems to have had a positive effect on their economies.
HARDEV KAUR It's time for out-of-the-box economic ideas
THE Malaysian economy, which on gaining independence was wholly dependent on two commodities -- natural rubber and tin -- has since come a long way. Today, as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Datuk Seri Najib Razak tables the 2010 Budget, the economy is highly diversified and there are new challenges. The contribution of the two primary commodities in terms of revenue and employment has declined dramatically. Other sectors, including construction, services and manufacturing, have increased in prominence.
SIMON TAY Will Asean yet bring change to Myanmar?
Setting aside its principle of non-interference in fellow members’ internal politics, Asean has finally got together to formally request Myanmar for a pardon for Aung San Suu Kyi. The game is changing and the results may have far-reaching effects, writes SIMON TAY
HARDEV KAUR Seize the moment to right the wrongs
"TODAY, we designated the G20 (Group of 20) as the premier forum for our international economic cooperation." The statement from the leaders of the 20 developing and emerging nations in Pittsburgh last week means that the G8 (Group of Eight), the exclusive club of developed nations, has been replaced.
HARDEV KAUR Climate change threat needs solutions, not rhetoric
"BAD science is influencing policy," says Claude Allegre, former French minister of education and research. He said there was no absolute truth on climate change, and the premises for policy decisions were inaccurate. That means the policies are wrong and the outcomes will necessarily be misplaced and will not address the issues at hand.
ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR Pushing hard for reforms in BN parties
The prime minister’s willingness to heed calls for change has brought Barisan Nasional some breathing space to prove its reform credentials, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR
HARDEV KAUR Ebullio out-tins traders and now reaps rewards
TIN and rubber prices are on the uptrend again and reaching levels not seen for some time. Some say they could move still higher. This is music to the ears of producers in developing countries. The commodities are making headlines once again and not just for the price they fetch.
HARDEV KAUR: New hope next week for development promised
THE Doha Development Round negotiations, launched in the Qatari capital in 2001, have already lasted longer than any of the previous world trade negotiations. The Kennedy Round lasted four years from 1963-1967; the Tokyo Round six years (1973-1979) and the Uruguay Round seven years (1986-1993).
EDITORIAL Conscientious consensus
UMNO'S 60th annual general assembly has been a landmark for the party quite in keeping with the round-number anniversary. In normal circumstances, not much would have been expected of a non-electoral general assembly beyond the perfunctory polemics and calls for solidarity. But these are extraordinary times, and this has been an extraordinary general assembly in the dictionary sense of the word. With Barisan Nasional hobbled by the travails of its component parties, Umno has got its act together in a way that should serve as an example to its partners-in-governance.
Najib wants Umno to change with the times
Excerpts from Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s policy speech at the opening of the party’s 60th general assembly yesterday
