Posted in Politics & government on January 2nd, 2012 1 Comment »
Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz and Aspan Alias are joining the DAP. This is big because it is yet another big step in widening the party’s appeal to the larger Malaysian demographics. Let us face it. The DAP is mainly seen as a Chinese party. The characterization may be unfair to some extent because there [...]
Posted in Liberty, Politics & government on August 1st, 2009 1 Comment »
Pewaris, widely reported as the foremost pro-Internal Security Act group as the Act comes under heavy opposition on August 1, the date when massive protest is expected to take place in Kuala Lumpur. The ISA is a controversial piece of legislation that allows detention with trial. Expressing support for the Act, even when the Act is abhorrent to the concept of [...]
Posted in Politics & government on June 25th, 2009 2 Comments »
The proposal to form a so-called unity government between PAS and UMNO finally finds its rightful place — in a dustbin. Nothing guarantees any PAS member from rummaging through the trash to rejuvenate the idea however. If the dream still lingers, I am here to offer a dire possibility. If PAS-UMNO unity comes true, PAS [...]
Posted in History & heritage on October 29th, 2007 15 Comments »
It strikes me as odd that the most successful federations throughout history of Southeast Asia centered around the Strait of Malacca. Those federations include Srivijaya, Negeri Sembilan, the Federated Malay States, Malaya and later Malaysia. I am unaware of any other federation that exist outside the link between Srivijaya and Malaysia. Is there something about [...]
Posted in Society on October 23rd, 2007 4 Comments »
The wall was white and blank but yet there I was, taking interest in the uninspiring wall. A public discussion was going on inside a small hall. I came because the names of the panel were sufficiently widely known across the urban society but as I found out later and too late, the discussion failed [...]
Posted in Liberty on May 31st, 2007 2 Comments »
Regulation 4 singles out Muslims for addition procedural burdens and impediments. It requires that a Muslim has to state his or her religion. The requirement does not apply to non-Muslims. There is therefore a differential treatment for Muslims… tantamount to unequal treatment under the law… and has infringed Article 8(1) of the Constitution. It is [...]
Posted in Humor, Liberty on May 31st, 2007 6 Comments »
It is official. A Christian, if the state says so, is a Muslim! PUTRAJAYA, May 30 (Bernama) — Azlina Jailani, the woman who converted to Christianity, today failed in her appeal to get the Federal Court to compel the National Registration Department (NRD) to drop the word “Islam” from her identity card. In a 2-1 [...]
Posted in History & heritage on May 15th, 2007 40 Comments »
A majority of Malays are content to look only as far as the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th and the 16th century, apparently accepting the era as the golden age of ancient, classical or medieval Malay civilization. Thanks to the education I received through the Malaysian system, I had the same perception too and [...]
Posted in Politics & government, Society on May 8th, 2007 1 Comment »
Drugs is a marvelous substance when consumed with care. Among other things, it heals illnesses, relieves pain and gives us the extra boost we might need. The more adventurous use involves psychedelic pleasure. Taken with moderation, it is all that and more. Taken excessively, it is a poison that wrecks life. In parallel, the Malaysian [...]
The name is Hafiz Noor Shams.
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