Giving federalism a future
5 min read
Universiti Sains Malaysia's funding in 2009 was RM9oo million. Penang's state budget was RM477 million.ALTHOUGH MALAYSIA officially practises federalism,...
Making Green Policies Sustainable
5 min read
The United Nations Climate Change Conference held in December 2009 in Copenhagen left little to cheer about. How should Malaysian urban centres position themselves on such issues?
Cat on the prowl
5 min read
Transparency and accountability were key themes in the electoral campaign of opposition parties two years ago. At that time, Barisan Nasional governments at s...
Betting On Better Public Transport
7 min read
Today, only 60% of the population resides within 400 metres of a public transport route. Anyone residing in Penang or the Klang Valley can testify to horrid traffic jams and endless hours wasted weaving through a daily gridlock on the road.
Democracy Is Essentially Local
7 min read
Local government elections were abolished by the Malaysian federal government in 1976 despite suggestions to the contrary by the body set up to study them. Thirty four years later, the State governments of Penang and Selangor are asking for federal support to reintroduce them.
Safety in the cities
8 min read
A horrific incident occurred in April in Shah Alam, Selangor, that will sadly be merely an additional statistic in the growing list of police shootings recorded in recent times.
Democratising women
6 min read
“ Change” was the rallying cry in the last general elections which managed to excite voters throughout Northern Peninsular Malaysia. One of the basic changes needed, and often more implied than expressed, is the betterment of the economic, social, legal and political situation of Malaysian women.
Information in restricted public space
7 min read
ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL pillars of any modern democracy is a free mass media. It is through transparent and responsible reporting by independent journalists that the public is provided with unbiased information and can form opinions based on it.
Civil servants at an impasse
5 min read
Since taking over several state governments, one of the areas the Pakatan Rakyat has had to contend most with is the civil service. A majority of the bureaucrats...
We can’t afford bad waste management
7 min read
Whilst the words "green" and "sustainable" have been gaining popularity in both the public and private sectors in Malaysia, it is worrying that problems associated with solid waste have intensified.
Comparing The State Budgets of Penang and Selangor
7 min read
Penang and Selangor's 2011 budgets focus on financial management, transparency, and social welfare. Both states aim for sustainable growth and investment, highlighting governance and accountability in their plans.
Tighter cooperation between Pakatan Rakyat-run states
6 min read
The mass media tends to drown out the steady progress of what the Pakatan Rakyat state governments are actually doing on a daily basis. Their learning curve on gaining power at state level was no doubt steep, but where policies are concerned, their achievements have been impressive.
