How Penang’s Early Prominence was Lost
15 min read
The early decades in the life of Prince of Wales Island did not see it living up to the expectations of its administrators, especially as a ship-building port...
Justices of the Peace: An Institution at Risk of Being Forgotten
11 min read
As a colony of the British, Malaya inherited the tradition of appointing Justices of the Peace (JPs) from among its prominent individuals and community leaders....
Catharsis – The Rebirth of Malaysia Finally Begins
9 min read
MAYBE IT WAS because the transition took so long, and opposition parties had had a chance to rule certain states for two terms and made change in government an...
It all seems so simple now...
3 min read
INTO THE GREAT dining hall, the children came. The guards at the gates do their best to keep as many of them out as possible, but they are too few, and the chil...
In Lieu of Race and Religion
4 min read
One can easily see how southern South-East Asia – being largely maritime, ethnically very diverse and geo-economically a collection of trade routes &ndash...
A Malaysian Spring for the Intelligentsia?
4 min read
I know Malaysia is a tropical country, but let’s adopt a concept from temperate zones without having to be politically sensitive about it. We are in the m...
The Deep Historical Significance of GE14
4 min read
Whatever one’s politics may be, one has to admit that the origins of the Federation of Malaysia are complicated and are overlaps of compromises made over...
Naming Modern Means of Mass Transport
3 min read
In the age of speedy technological innovations, thinking up names for totally new things that are not created by Mother Nature but by this innovative ape we c...
The Early Promise of Penang Pepper
8 min read
In A Short Account of the Settlement, Produce, and Commerce, of Prince of Wales Island, in the Straits of Malacca, written by Sir George Leith, 2nd Baronet (1766-January 25, 1842), and published in London in 1804 are some interesting notes about the importance of pepper.
Governing with a Vision: Part One
12 min read
It was a Monday, the beginning of a working week and the start of a hopeful time for Malaysia. At 11.10am on May 14, 2018, four days after it became official th...
A Tsunami of Cultural Disruptions is on the Horizon
3 min read
The digital revolution that in recent years has been pigeonholed as Industry 4.0 in reality transforms modern life in more ways than merely through new products...
Limiting the Political Class Should be the Ultimate Goal for Reformists
4 min read
Was the opposition to BN-Umno rule, which led to the change in government in 2018, about corruption, ethnic baiting and deteriorating socio-economic conditions,...