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PODCAST on Wide Open Air Exchange: Political history and Malaysia, Dr Ooi Kee Beng Dr Ooi explains some of the political history of Malaysia in relation to global history and international order and by critically analysing concepts of colonialism, nationalism and regionalism.
The immediate success of Singapore led to a grim court battle to decide who her actual founder was. That clash continues in this new and superbly researched book. BOOK REVIEW Book review: William Farquhar and Singapore: Stepping out of Raffles’ Shadow by Nadia H. Wright. Entrepot Publishing, 2017. By OOI KEE BENG The present always … Continue reading
Ooi Kee Beng For The Straits Times 26 August 2016 The issue of Bangsa Johor (Johor nationality) made national news again on Wednesday, when former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed was asked about it at a forum on relations between the federal government and state governments. Asked about Johor’s separation from Malaysia, a national concern fanned … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, editorial for Penang Monthly, December 2015. Natural resources are always good to have. If rightly used, they are the basis not only for an economy’s path of growth, but also for its international identity. Having said that, it is not always easy to recognize a valuable natural resource. Something that is an asset … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng for The Edge Malaysia, 28 December 2015. Malaysia has drawn the attention of the global community in recent times, and this has largely been much more as negative publicity than positive. Just last Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution deploring “the deteriorating human rights situation in Malaysia and in particular the … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, for The Edge Malaysia, 30 November 2015 In recent weeks, the Southeast Asian region has been getting more global attention than it is used to, or is in fact comfortable with. But while governments there have for years been reiterating ASEAN Centrality as the cornerstone of their foreign policy, most of … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG Editorial, Penang Monthly, JULY 2015 We take global communication as a matter of course today. Not long ago, messages had to be written on physical media to arrive only after being carried across oceans and mountains. Since then, we have seen the telegram come and go, and now with the internet … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG [Editorial in Penang Monthly, January 2013] The Federal Government announced its Master Plan for Education in September 2012. As was expected, the general goals sound fine at first glance while the larger problem of implementation—and credibility—remains. Let me take this opportunity, especially when our cover story by Wong Chin Huat this … Continue reading
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
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