By Ooi Kee Beng, Penang Monthly Editorial, December 2025 NOTHING PROVIDES MORE inspiration for coinage of terms than our five senses. We fashion fundamental words to describe the wide range of information that flows from without onto our body and brain. For example, I am told that the sense of Touch relies on our Skin … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, Penang Monthly Editorial, December 2024. BORN WITHOUT ANY spoon of any metal in my mouth, food was a matter of having enough to dispel any passing pang of hunger. Often, it was the drink—plain water or coffee—and not the food that helped. It did not matter how. In any case, lucky … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng, Penang Monthly Editorial, December 2019. Not many peoples in the world discuss what they want for dinner while eating lunch. Malaysians do, and we like to laugh about that fact – taking it to mean that we are down-to-earth, we are immediate and caring, and we distrust abstract matters. We also … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng Editorial, November 2016, PENANG MONTHLY Most religions are defined by their rituals and by the regimenting the collective behaviour of its followers. That is what ultimately defines a “religious establishment”. During this process, things tend to get misunderstood and become issues for contestation despite starting out as rather rational and practical … Continue reading