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By Ooi Kee Beng For THE EDGE, Kuala Lumpur, 25 August 2014 Multiracialism does not come by chance. It is always an expression of the populated territory’s geopolitical history. We imagine societies to be essentially mono-cultural and mono-religious. That may be true of some regions in the world, but in regions such as Southeast Asia, … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For THE EDGE Malaysia, 30 July 2014 A wave of pessimism and dejection has been pervading Malaysia for quite a long time now. Exactly when it started is hard to say, but what has been obvious is that whatever potential lines of division that can be found in the diversity that … Continue reading
By Ooi Kee Beng For Commentary, The National University of Singapore Society (NUSS). Volume 23, 2014. IF ONE DOES NOT go back too far, one could divide relations between Singapore and Malaysia into the Mahathir period and the Post-Mahathir period. Malaysia’s long-term Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed retired on 30 October 2003, after 22 … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG For The Edge, Malaysia, May 25, 2014 What seems to have happened in Malaysian politics since 2008 is that we have a voter population that is divided right down the middle, and given the nature of the game, this situation is expected to remain for quite a while. We have a … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG Editorial for Penang Monthly, June 2014 This month’s cover is about Malaysia’s brain drain; and what is fascinating is how old—and yet how current—the story reads. Indeed, we should be talking about a Brain Drain Trap, as we do about the Middle Income Trap. And we should be worrying just as … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG For THE EDGE, Malaysia, April 28, 2014 As they say, one can only tell if a child is well brought up by how it acts—not when it is rested, fed and showered—but when it is exhausted, dirty and hungry. It would be good for Malaysia to turn the disaster of MH370 … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG Editorial for Penang Monthly, April 2014. PM’s cover story this month is about East Malaysia, and how unknown a territory it has always been to Malaysians on the peninsula. To start with, we need to remind ourselves of how troubled the beginnings of the Federation of Malaya actually were—and I don’t … Continue reading
By Eileen Ng, February 07, 2014: The Malaysian Insider A prominent Malaysia watcher has said that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming the Selangor Menteri Besar could be a game changer for the opposition, as it provided him the opportunity to lead the state and a track record to pitch to Malaysians in the future. Dr … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG, For The Edge, Kuala Lumpur, 3-7 February 2014. WITH rising racial and religious intolerance dominating the stage in Malaysia, the basic unresolved problem in the country’s development becomes painfully apparent once again, and questions begged to be asked and answered, again. Principally, how can the diverse cultural terrain that is Malaysia … Continue reading
By OOI KEE BENG for TODAY, Singapore. 10 January 2014 TO EVERY major flow of events, there is always a backflow, and the stronger that major flow, the greater the backflow. But unlike with water, social flows are not so easily read and one can easily mistake major flows for backflows, and vice versa. In … Continue reading
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