In the inaugural specialized column on Asia, The Economist pays respect to Perak’s democracy under the banyan tree:
In early March, in Perak in Malaysia, the state assembly convened an emergency session under a tree. It was, said outraged national ministers, a return to the jungle, making Malaysia a laughing-stock. We beg to differ. An ancient connection exists between public business and the banyan tree, as between its huge overarching shade and its deep intertwining roots. In South-East Asia, and Java in particular, the shade was a place of learning and a site where rulers vowed justice. Those are Asian values to which Banyan will happily subscribe. [In the shade of the banyan tree. The Economist. April 8 2009]
Hail.
