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Editorial for Penang Monthly, April 2015 By OOI KEE BENG It is fascinating how seemingly innocuous words actually are not. Especially those that sound neutral, even ethically positive. That is why the sage never thinks in haste, because he knows the words that bear his thoughts cannot be trusted and his listener’s ability to understand … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For The EDGE Malaysia, April 2015 Malaysia is in serious trouble today because the different narratives that have been driving politics in the country for more than half a century have come into direct conflict with each other. This shows more clearly than ever that what was always important for social … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG Penang Monthly Editor’s Column — March 5, 2015 Democracy is a big word, and like all big words it is given to controversy and misuse. Since the magazine’s cover story this month and in April will be about local elections and local governments, it may be suitable to discuss what Democracy … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG for THE EDGE MALAYSIA, 22-28 February 2015 Malaysian political disagreements have deteriorated to a level quite unthinkable in the minds of the founding fathers. Name-calling of the type, “I’m not a racist, you are”, is now common, and does no credit to the country’s reputation. When childish quarrels take the place … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, for THE EDGE Malaysia, 31 January-6 February, 2015. Aiming for maximum effect, the anti-poverty organisation Oxfam International megaphoned just before the World Economic Forum began in Davos, that the wealth gap has become incredibly huge. It released a study indicating that the richest one percent is on the brink of owning … Continue reading
Cover Story for Penang Monthly, February 2015 By OOI KEE BENG fe•tish noun \ˈfe-tish also ˈfē-\ : a strong and unusual need or desire for something : a need or desire for an object, body part or activity for sexual excitement : an object that is believed to have magical powers Standfirst: Building a nation … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for Penang Monthly, February 2015 Have you ever thought about apparently different things, only to find out as you go along that they are totally linked trains of thought? And what starts out as a multitasking undertaking leads in the end to an epiphany of a sort. This is not … Continue reading
PENANG MONTHLY, Feature Story February 2015 by Ooi Kee Beng Cultures are defined by their literature. In fact, in Chinese – classical or modern – the same term is used for both. What this tells us is that a country’s self-consciousness is vibrant and alive only if writing is strongly encouraged among its population. See … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for Penang Monthly, January 2015 No one can doubt that Penang is going through a very dynamic period today. It is evident in how the cityscape and the street life are changing, and in how vibrant the economy and the art scene have become. Much has been happening, and even … Continue reading
Formation of integrated economic community marks coming of age for South-east Asia in wake of colonialism and Cold War By OOI KEE BENG, for Straits Times, Singapore, published December 25, 2014 (From left) Philippine President Benigno Aquino, PM Lee Hsien Loong, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Myanmar President Thein … Continue reading
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