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By OOI KEE BENG, Editorial in Penang Monthly, September 2012 The history of naming is an extremely interesting one that varies greatly from culture to culture. In some, surnames are important, in others, they are not even existent. In some, personal names were important, in some, less so. Let’s take the Chinese case. In ancient … Continue reading
Interview with Ambiga Sreenevasan: Penang Monthly editor Ooi Kee Beng talks to Bersih icon Ambiga Sreenevasan between sessions at the inaugural ASEAN Coalition for Clean Governance conference on civil society and asks why she thinks “Malaysians are a great people”. Ooi Kee Beng: Let’s discuss the recent rise of civil society activism in Malaysia. … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial for Penang Monthly August 2012] The so-called Arab spring that began with the public suicide on 17 December 2010 of a miserable Tunisian vegetable seller whose cart was towed away by the police is often denoted a pro-democracy movement. That latter term is technically correct, seeing how it quickly led … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial in Penang Monthly July 2012] The conference organized by Penang Institute and held on 25th June 2012 at the famed Eastern & Oriental Hotel is interesting for many reasons outside of all the fascinating things said by the impressive row of speakers. The participants were certainly an impressive lot, and … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial in Penang Monthly June 2012] I am sure it has not escaped anyone’s notice. Even at a long distance away, it cannot be ignored. Penang is buzzing – more and more. And this year, the third George Town Festival in a row is taking place. Typically of Malaysian adaptability, instead of … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG [Editorial for PENANG MONTHLY, May 2012] We can read books on Malaysia’s history by scholars of various persuasions all we want. In the end, the solution to the ills suffered by the country over the last half century will have to come from discussions about principles, not about contested facts. We … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG [Editorial in PENANG MONTHLY, April 2012] For all movements of liberation, the key to successful initiatives lies in identifying what the means of sustained suppression are, and to know which area is the most strategic to attack at a given time. No doubt, some areas are more fundamental than others and … Continue reading
Book Review: P.G Lim’s Kaleidoscope: The Memoirs of P.G. Lim. Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre. 2012. By Ooi Kee Beng This much-awaited volume lives up to all reasonable expectations and should be read by anyone – historian, lawyer or layman – interested in Penang, in late colonialism, and in the early history … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng [Editorial for Penang Monthly, 2012] How concepts relate to each other is always revealing. A close look at them always arouses new ways of thinking. The same goes for discovering the lost origins of words. Most of us have feasted ourselves on the connections between “revolution”, “evolution” and even “involution”. Lately, “devolution” … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng (Editorial in Penang Monthly, February 2012) Why is it so important to scientists to discover extra-terrestrial life forms? They know the odds are astronomically small. Well, they are hoping against hope, certainly. But I think that it is because they intuitively know that the leap in knowledge about Life and the … Continue reading
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