Infernal Ramblings is a Malaysian website focusing on current events and sociopolitical issues. Its articles run the gamut from economics to society to education.
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There is no such thing as "Malay rights" or "non-Malay rights". Under the supreme law of Malaysia, there are only Malaysian rights.
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Amidst the anger at the jailing of Raja Petra over sedition charges, it is time to look again at one of his life's causes: abolishing the Internal Security Act. Why do we let this repugnant law make a mockery of our liberties and our democracy?
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On Sunday the 4th of May, we will officially launch Religion Under Siege? at the Central Market Annexe. Please try to attend, or at least buy a copy online — it is a good book, well worth your time.
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We have to hold our elected officials accountable, but how can we do that when we do not know what they are doing? The people of Malaysia have a right to know exactly how our MPs are wasting our time and money insulting each other, so we can hold them accountable.
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A brief reflection on Selangor's recent history, and the political turbulence we saw post-elections.
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It takes guts for a Malaysian politician to denounce ketuanan Melayu, and yet that is precisely what Anwar Ibrahim has done. No doubt this is a calculated political move, as practically all such moves are, but we owe it to ourselves and our country to support those who will push for our cause. Let us give Anwar our support in denouncing ketuanan Melayu, and upholding ketuanan rakyat.
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Absolute power corrupts absolutely; this much we know. Why then would we give any faction in UMNO, or any leader, be it Abdullah, Mahathir or Razaleigh, carte blanche to govern? Don't we benefit more from each man pointing out the other's errors, holding one another accountable?
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In Governance, Partisanship is No Qualification
Categories: Malaysian Politics, Malaysian Government
The Pakatan Rakyat government has appointed Barisan Nasional members to important positions in its apparatus, to the consternation of many. But in governance, political partisanship is not a qualification; competence and a willingness to cooperate with others are.
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Protectionism is in vogue again. However, the preponderance of evidence comes down firmly on the side of free trade. Both from a theoretical and factual standpoint, you cannot justify protectionist policies on the grounds of economic development.
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Recently the New Straits Times achieved the astounding feat of publishing an editorial worth reading; it frontpaged one of the harshest criticisms of UMNO to come from the mainstream media in recent memory. Might this strange step be a sign of change and reform within UMNO?
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Boycotting the Olympics is actually counterproductive; it will strengthen the very forces that human rights activists are railing against. Let's not lend credence to the case that the West or the world cannot be trusted; let's engage China with an eye to changing their policies, rather than treating them as a geopolitical pariah.
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Because the upper classes are more likely to devote thought to education, they drive the public debate in this area. However, how we consider education is seriously warped by the simple fact that most assume the typical school and typical student resembles their experience in an elite institution.
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Many have been upset that racialism is once more rearing its head, this time in the ranks of the Pakatan Rakyat as it struggles to govern five states and form a strong Parliamentary opposition. These demands for consideration of race as a factor in representation, however, are perfectly reasonable, because understanding the needs of a particular community is in itself a crucial qualification.
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Events like the Northeast Malaysia Forum in the US, which bring overseas Malaysians together, are important not just for inspiring Malaysians to action, but more importantly, for potentially creating a more cohesive and coherent sense of what it means to be Malaysian.
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Why UMNO Was Right and the Terengganu Sultan Wrong
Categories: Malaysian Government, Malaysian Politics
The Sultan probably was within his legal right to act as he did; however, what he has done is almost certainly counter to the spirit of the principles our country was founded upon.
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