-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
By Ooi Kee Beng For THE EDGE, Malaysia, 24 December 2012 Where do litterbugs come from? By litterbugs, I mean anyone who leaves trash, wastes or pollutants behind for others to dispose of. Actually, I mean everybody. Let us also ask, in what kind of world would such behaviour not matter? Well, conceivably, there was … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For TODAY, 5 Dec 2012 As United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) general assemblies go, the one held last week was rather tame in its rhetoric. It was certainly memorable for its lack of vitriolic language. And it was expectedly so – therein lies its significance. Things were quite different back in … Continue reading
Profile: Jeffrey Sachs By Ooi Kee Beng [Penang Monthly, Dec 2012] Penang Institute held the fourth event in its “Penang in Asia” Lecture Series on 20th October 2012. The honoured speaker was Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs. PM Editor Dr Ooi Kee Beng managed to squeeze a jet-lagging Prof Jeffrey Sachs for an interview while they … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG [Editorial in Penang Monthly, December 2012] I just returned from Japan, and like every other visitor, I was struck by how clean the place is. To be sure, there are lots of spotless countries and cities around. Singapore is known for its clinical cleanliness, as we know. Hong Kong’s inner city … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [This article was first published in The Edge Malaysia, Nov 26-Dec 2 issue] THE coming into being of a steady two-party system in Malaysia is often thought of as a necessary step in democratic development. But we have to remind ourselves that the process itself, the detailed dynamics of that transformation, … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, For ISEAS Perspective, SINGAPORE, 26 Nov 2012 INTRODUCTION Malaysia’s Parliament has to be dissolved by the end of April 2013, following which Malaysians must go to the polls within 60 days. Nothing significant about that, except that this 13th general election is a critical one which will decide how the country’s politics … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial in PENANG MONTHLY, Nov 2012] It is certainly true that never before in human history have so many been lifted out of poverty as has been the case in East Asia over the last few decades. The suggested reasons for these are many, though few easily agreed upon. In China, … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For PENANG MONTHLY, Oct 2012 Standfirst: Cheah Cheng Hye, alumnus of Penang Free School, has been called the Warren Buffett of the East. Although he claims that gives him way too much credit, the reasons why he is one of Asia’s most respected fund managers are many. For one thing, Value … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial in Penang Monthly, October 2012] One thing that strikes me when I travel from city to city nowadays is that the ones I enjoy most and have the fondest memories of are simply those that boast some huge and central public space where the local population – the citizens literally … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For THE EDGE, Malaysia (29 October 2012) Under the rubric of Nation-building, countries throughout modern times have been struggling to construct institutions that can safeguard national independence, bring economic growth, and create a harmonious society. Thus, small and new countries like Malaysia have been frantically trying to put their house into … Continue reading
Wikibeng 