-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
By OOI KEE BENG, in The Straits Times, 26 November 2022 AGAINST GREAT ODDS, and despite time threatening to run out for him, Anwar Ibrahim, at 75 years old, is now Malaysia’s Prime Minister. With that, a new era appears to dawn for the country. However, chances are, this change will not be as immediately … Continue reading
Ooi Kee Beng For The Straits Times, 10 November 2016 Mass demonstrations are a strategic forcing of an issue to a head. This is definitely so in the case of Malaysia’s Bersih 5 rally planned for Nov 19. As its name reveals, this is the fifth street protest in a series. Organised by a huge … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng for The Straits Times 26 September 2016 According to its Constitution, Malaysia has to hold its next general election by Aug 24, 2018. That is still almost two years away. And yet, rumours of early elections persist, both at the state and federal levels. This needs some explaining, given how Prime … Continue reading
Ooi Kee Beng for The Straits Times, 8 September 2016, Malaysia’s former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, surprised his countrymen by turning up at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday to shake the hand of his former deputy and protege, and (perhaps former) political foe, Anwar Ibrahim. This is a highly significant event, … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For The Straits Times, Singapore. 22 July 2016. The civil lawsuits filed by the US Justice Department on 20 July 2016 to seize assets worth over US$1 billion stolen from Malaysia’s state fund, 1MDB, are sending tight ripples across the globe. Not only are these the largest set of cases brought … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For The Straits Times, Singapore, 26 May 2016 On 5 May, in the midst of the Sarawak state election campaign, a helicopter crashed in the jungle and killed five people, including the Malaysian Deputy Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Noriah Kasnon, and the Member of Parliament for Kuala Kangsar, … 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 Straits Times, 16 April 2013. MOST analysts think the Malaysian general elections will be close. Although Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to retain a slight edge over his nemesis, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the social tide, even if significantly weaker, is still with the latter. How then to … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, For The Straits Times, 13 April 2013 WHEN an army becomes restless, the general must fly into decisive action to signal that the waiting is over, and that battle plans are in place. Wearied by months, if not years, of waiting for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to dissolve Parliament and … Continue reading
[Malaysia’s Changing Political Landscape] By OOI KEE BENG for The Straits Times, 29 March 2013 While waiting for the 13th general elections to be declared, campaigned and decided, one should step back and consider how much Malaysia’s political culture has actually changed over the last five years. In fact, the palpable mood of apprehension and … Continue reading
Wikibeng 