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TODAY, Singaporeans go to the polls. Nothing strange about that, they do this every fifth year or so. And given the dominance of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), its impressive track record of building the island state into a powerful economy, its control over the apparatus of state, its pre-emptive nature especially where elections … Continue reading
INDEED, becoming literate used to be one of the best career moves anyone could make. In ancient China for example, extended families would concentrate their resources to make the smartest kid amongst them as literate in the classics as he – not she – could be. That way, he might pass the imperial exams, become … Continue reading
THE results of the Sarawak state elections last weekend were extraordinary in the sense that one cannot strictly say that they were expected. Nor can one claim that they were unexpected. This in truth reflects how uncertain things seemed during the 10 days of campaigning. Wishful thinking mixed freely with insider information, and strategic statements … Continue reading
JUDGING from recent events, the ruling coalition in the Malaysian state of Sarawak is feeling very unsure of its ability to retain its two-third majority in tomorrow’s state election. Not only are the rallies of the Barisan Nasional (BN) not drawing the crowds, its candidates are failing to excite voters except through offers of money … Continue reading
Talk by Ooi Kee Beng at Malaysia Forum (Singapore) 2011 [Held on 10 April at Hackerspace.sg, 70A Bussorah Street] WITH THE election results of March 8, 2008, not only did the landscape of Malaysian politics change, more possible futures could be envisioned. This was because the results actually brought into focus certain aspects of Malaysian … Continue reading
I SHALL tell you a secret. Whenever in Dublin, I actually prefer browsing through bookstores to bumming down at a public house for a piece of steak washed down with a stout. And truly, only in Ireland does Guinness Stout taste like it should. No, I cannot keep away from Irish bookstores. The range is … Continue reading
Review of A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir (MPH, 2011) This long-awaited autobiography is more about the political than the personal. By Ooi Kee Beng For The Star, Friday March 25, 2011 BELIEVE it or not, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been a part of Malaysian politics since World War … Continue reading
LIKE people in most developing countries, Malaysians suffer automobiles not only as a necessary tool for modern living, but as a purported key driver of the economy. Having a car-making industry supposedly generates an army of suppliers of parts from simple nuts and bolts to sophisticated electronics. The consumption Ringgit needed to keep a car … Continue reading
THE UNESCO decision to put Penang jointly with Malacca on its World Heritage List two years ago signified a few fascinating things. For one thing, it was of course a satisfying triumph for the many NGO activists in Penang who had been patiently pushing for that status for years. Secondly, the listing of the two port-towns … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng THE PASSING of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu in November last year threw a challenge to all serious scholars of Malaysian history. Not much has so far been written about him. No doubt most books on the country’s political history do mention episodes such as his successful challenge against Tan Cheng … Continue reading
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