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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
By Ooi Kee Beng, for THE EDGE Malaysia, 21 December 2014 There is no doubt that the standard of English in Malaysia has fallen badly over the last few decades. And this is true for all Malaysian communities, even the Eurasians. It is a generational phenomenon made all the poignant because Malaysians started out having … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG For THE EDGE Malaysia, November 30-December 5, 2015 Merdeka is the country’s most important word. It defines the country’s original aspirations and means a great deal to older Malaysians. For that reason alone, young Malaysians should study what it means for them to be heir to that imposing legacy. All Malaysians … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for Penang Monthly, December 2014 Education is a key issue in nation building; and in no other country has that been more evident than in Malaysia where so much contestation since the 1950s has been about school types and the language of instruction. As soon as self-governance was obtained in … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for Penang Monthly, November 2014 Let’s get serious about global communication. In the Age of Nationalism, which is what we continue to live in, we tend to forget that communication between peoples requires a range of compromises, not least of all in the use of language, in the use of … Continue reading
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