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By OOI KEE BENG For THE EDGE, Malaysia, April 28, 2014 As they say, one can only tell if a child is well brought up by how it acts—not when it is rested, fed and showered—but when it is exhausted, dirty and hungry. It would be good for Malaysia to turn the disaster of MH370 … Continue reading
Review of Penang – The Fourth Presidency of India 1805-1830, Volume One: Ships, Men and Mansions, by Mark Langdon. George Town: Areca Books. 2013. By OOI KEE BENG, for Penang Monthly, March 2014 There are several questions about the history of Penang that have bothered me for quite a while, satisfactory responses to which cannot … Continue reading
INTERVIEW with Tan Twan Eng. In Penang Monthly, February 2014. OOI KEE BENG: What fascinates me greatly about your writing is your ability – and your apparent need – to embellish your narration with a sensitive description of some act or item occurring on the side. I hesitate to use the word “embellish”, because very … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG EDITORIAL for Penang Monthly, March 2014 This month’s article about the endless hunt for energy to power modern man’s countless machines leads me to think about the psychological consequences of our dependence on external power; and how that dependence clouds our appreciation of the most simple talents and faculties we possess; … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For THE EDGE, Malaysia. Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2014 Regimentation is elemental to Nation building. The issue is about “How”. How are the processes of social regulation, legal control, central education and negotiated buy-ins arranged?; how is national pride and identity, not to mention national knowledge and aspirations, developed and … Continue reading
By Eileen Ng, February 07, 2014: The Malaysian Insider A prominent Malaysia watcher has said that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming the Selangor Menteri Besar could be a game changer for the opposition, as it provided him the opportunity to lead the state and a track record to pitch to Malaysians in the future. Dr … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for Penang Monthly, February 2014. It’s always a bit disconcerting when a notion forms in your mind and you cannot find a good word for it. Memory going bad? Mental energy running out? Bad vocabulary? In many cases, it is one of the above – or more. Also, when you … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, For The Edge, Kuala Lumpur, 3-7 February 2014. WITH rising racial and religious intolerance dominating the stage in Malaysia, the basic unresolved problem in the country’s development becomes painfully apparent once again, and questions begged to be asked and answered, again. Principally, how can the diverse cultural terrain that is Malaysia … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG for TODAY, Singapore. 10 January 2014 TO EVERY major flow of events, there is always a backflow, and the stronger that major flow, the greater the backflow. But unlike with water, social flows are not so easily read and one can easily mistake major flows for backflows, and vice versa. In … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial for PENANG MONTHLY, January 2014 We have just entered a new year—again—so allow me to kick off this magazine’s fifth year in its present form with some observations about the central importance of narratives—of stories, if you like—to every individual human being. We all have a large schemata in our … Continue reading
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