Gardens going to seed
7 min read
Loh-Lim Lin Lee: “The public wants to be involved before a project is carried out.”It was a Thursday, and Loh-Lim Lin Lee was buying fruit in...
Butterworth remains the Ugly Duckling
5 min read
Surely, Butterworth is worth more than what it is getting.About 25 years ago, I gave a talk to a youth organisation there about the future of the town. The...
An eminent Malaysian academic abroad
10 min read
Anyone would be intimidated by Professor Aihwa Ong. Although petite and slender, her presence is overwhelming. She speaks emphatically and powerfully, insisti...
Nation in a dilemma
15 min read
Many accusing fingers are pointed when foreign labour and its implications are discussed in this country. The mere mention of migrant workers is usually greet...
Voter registration
2 min read
Special thanks to Chris Lee Chun KitThe statewide voter registration drive was officially launched by the chief minister at Gurney Plaza....
Baba Nyonya culture in Penang and Phuket
8 min read
Thalang Road, the main street in Phuket.When I First walked down Thalang Road in Tongkah, the old town of Phuket, several years ago, I was reminded of the...
Getting good bacteria to green Penang
6 min read
Phase 1: Demonstrations at Mayang Pasir (top) and Bayan Baru Market (below).High speed economic activity and demographic shifts, especially in developing...
Democratising women
6 min read
Part of the excitement associated with the March 8, 2008 election results when Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over four (now three) state governments was that it sign...
We are the led-ing light
5 min read
Penang has built its reputation as the Silicon Island of the East through its almost 40 years of experience in the export-oriented electronics industry. Today&r...
Finding Penang’s niche
2 min read
From left to right:Professor Dr p. Ramasamy, Penang Deputy Chief Minister ii; Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister; Liew Chin Tong, seri executive director and...
Cleaner, greener Penang
2 min read
Will Penangites finally learn to use the mysterious orange object?“It’s not easy being green,” sang Kermit the Frog, it hasn’t bee...
A personal Penang treasure that can be revived
7 min read
The hamlet of Sungai Bakap used to be on the North- South trunk road, and when it was, it steadily flourished, together with its neighbours Simpang Ampat and...