About me
In “my previous life”, I trained and worked as a chartered accountant in England before returning to Malaysia to be immersed in corporate life.
Well, you know what they say about accountants being boring! Before long, I found myself drawn to journalism and writing about human rights and socio-economic justice issues. I have always believed that we can build a more just and compassionate world.
These days I mostly write for Aliran Monthly, Inter Press Service, Asia Times, The Herald - and this blog! Inspiration isn’t always at hand, though - so grab yourself a cup of coffee and come share your thoughts with me.
Calling all bloggers, please support the campaign to bring trams back to Penang by putting this icon on your site.
hi anil, i have finally discovered your blog. great writing. now you have become my fellow blogger. keep it up
Hello Anil
Your friend Clem Jarvis is visiting me here , Neerim South . Australia
We commend you on your web site , love every word of it .
Liz and Clem send thier regards to you
Mike
Anil,
Can’t find a contact email address anywhere!
At last, I get to know the person behind the name & face….bio-data.
All the best. Would be glad to meet up the next time your ae in KL
GOD BLESS YOU & LOVED ONES
Aloysius
Greetings Mr. Anil,
It’s a pleasure to come across your blog. You were the one who wrote the report on Karpal Singh apologizing to my taking him to task at the Forum Keadilan in Dewan Sri Pinang, way back in 1999.
Do you still have the report?
Would be much obliged if you could email me a copy.
Thank you sir.
Zainol Abideen a.k.a Mahaguru58
Anil:
I was thinking of you as I came across the following:
Last Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs
Committee unanimously approved a resolution introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., demanding human-rights reforms in Vietnam. At the center of the country’s shameful record is Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Roman Catholic priest and editor of a pro-democracy publication who was sentenced March 30 to eight years in prison simply for peacefully opposing the Communist regime.
After hearing the verdict in this farce Vietnam called a trial, Father Ly shouted “Down with the Communist Party of Vietnam!” - and was then dragged away. Like most events nowadays that threaten tyrannical regimes, this stirring moment was caught on camera and distributed across the globe on YouTube.
I sure would like to meet Fr Ly and shake his hand for his courageous stance against communism and totalitarianism, wouldn’t you? God bless him and protect him.
We spent a month in Penang going to church at Assumption, Our Lady of Sorrows and St FX. I wish I knew you were there, I would have enjoyed meeting you and having you to our boat for dinner.
I will store our boat in Penang for a few years and return to the good old USA to work (and campaign vigorously for Republicans!) When we get back to Malaysia I hope to look you up. Please pass along my best to Fr Andrew. I wish you every success.
God bless America and our great president GWB.
Your sailing American friend,
Joe Rooney
I’d like to know two new bills Water Industry Bill and National Water Commission Bill are alredy apoved by parliament or not.
Thanks a lot
Khasan
Hi Anil,
This is your good old former colleague and friend from JB. Nice to read all the interesting articles in your blog. I really admire you because you because despite of your high academic qualification you have given up fat salaries and good perks of the corporate world to champion the spirit of democracy and well being of the rakyat in the country. From those days till to date I haven’t found anyone else who truly have the muhibbah spirit like you. Keep up your good work and may god bless you.
Thinakaran Retnam
Friend, welcome to the blogging world. We do made the difference. Have a nice day.
Hi
Nice to at last know the face behind the name. Been following your writings, Aliran, Catholic Herald and now here.
God bless you
Bob Teoh
I have been reading your stuff…..they are great. Keep writing.
You have good talent for jounralism. I am glad you are not like the jerks in Star and New Straits Times. Funny, I always thought you were a girl.
Hello Anil,
Peace is yours and mine and the right of human being!
This is old friend Xavier Andrew (Deacon when in Klang)
Reading your column in herald now and then and now of Hindraf in this site of yours, I am indeed very pleased there is a Chrisitian who is truly Christ like in going beyond the barriers of religion to write objectively of and for justice and that’s what a true Christian is. Not practising religion but living your Faith! I stand in this course in the same spirit!
Thank you and Congrats dear Mr. Anil.
God Bless.
saudara anil,
welcome to the blog world. i just hope you keep on doing what you’re doing and don’t give up and migrate elsewhere. this place called malaysia is still worth saving.
kind regards
mr anil…..thanks for ur speech during the ICG
Thank you for your concise yet not emotional look at things. this site is definitely a credible read. you do not apologize for what you believe in and you explain yourself well. thanks for keeping us informed on issues we have no info on or access to.
By a coincidence, today is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas
Dear Anil
Thank you for speaking out for us all. We many are not into writing but have hearts torn by the over powering bullying tactics of the BN Government that wishes to keep the status quo regardless of the Malaysians’ cry for an honest deal.
The Government trample on the national Constitution and rights enshrined therein, having contaminated even the Judiciary and brow-beaten the Police Force to do their will. However, I agree with mohd kassim bin ahmad that all is not lost for Malaysia…a Bangsa Malaysia must rise from these troubled times.
Kind Regards
Ranen Bhattacharyya
oophs I forgot to add…A Merry Christmas & A Happy new Year!
Cheers!
Hi there Mr.Anil , greetings to you from Martin and Janet….
We have not met BUT i ‘knew’ you since my early days of reading Aliran and later Herald. Your last write-up in Herald titled ‘Darkness in Malaysia” is highly commendable where you have written in the defense of Hindraf ’s plight. Also your analysis and argument shooting down the average income of malaysians as declared by mr.semi value is a good point to note and share.
Me , my wife and ALL my in-laws are truly proud of you!!! Keep up the good work in defending the freedom of the speech and the basic human rights that should be the BIRTH RIGHT of every living human being including ALL malaysians. jan10 ‘08 12.19am
Anil, I never miss your articles in the Herald(excellent) and tell many family and friends to read it.
Showed the Herald letter of Bishop Paul Tan’s criticism of the temple demolitions to a Hindu friend. He thanks the church for the support.
Keep up the good work.
We need more christians to spread the message of liberation of mind and body from the shackles of oppressive organizations/governments as Our Lord Jesus Christ did.
Thank you folks for all the kind and encouraging words. It’s nice to know that you all are reading this blog. Makes it worthwhile.
Hi Anil
I have been lately reading alot about what is happening to the Malaysian Indians by the political powers in Malaysia. I am extremely saddened as a malaysian Indian living in Canada. Over the years I had always knowledged that the Malaysian Indians were not treated fairly and 20 years ago that was the reason I left. Now it seems they are treated as third class citizens after all our past parents and parents before them had given with their lifes to the country
This is very clear that education is important unlike (certain) Bumiputra politicans who show disrespect to others and still preach religion to their ego
The Indian politican SV (sold out on) the Indians …the Maika case… should alone be prove in what he did.
Even thou I do not know you but accidently came accross your blog, like to say good work my friend
PR
Hi Anil,
I have been reading your write-up in Herald and its so good and true…. and now that i have found this page of urs and while i read it - i must say u r the word - the living christ word ….
I hope to hear more form you both in here and in Herald. Simply love all your articles.
Hi how are sir anil? The first time i saw in the good sherperd simminari 13 year ago, i have been ur fan in herald sure to see ur article on different topic all about malaysia issuses for the welfare of other it great yah…. i will alway pray for ur well being ,May the almighty god be on ur side..10q keep on writing ..gob bless
jxc
Hi Anil,
It is Chee Keong. I got in touch with you a few years back but lost contact after that. Accidentally found your blog while reading about the Malaysian election. I hope you remember me.
Hope to get a reply from you soon.
Anil
When will all the world press stop printing this as tho it is the WHOLE truth? I thought they would have picked up earlier debates over the statistics re GLC’s portion and ASLI research. Surely all these should not be important now after the tsunami esp when M’sia starts lagging behind some of the neighbouing countries in competitiveness?
” Ethnic Chinese are 25 per cent of the population but dominate
Malaysia’s business. Malays make up about 60 per cent of Malaysia’s 27 million
people”
Hi Mr Anil,
Its great to come across your blog. Your writings do inspire me as a reader. Pls do write about Sarawak & Sabah, because being living & working far away, we need to know whats happening back home. BTW we are in Johor, working. Today, in one of the mainstream media based in Sarawak, we learned that one of the BN ybs were rumoured to have left his party for being not appointed as a minister after 20 years the parliament.
Ok lah,Mr Anil, keep up the good work. God bless you.
Hi Anil,
I like the way your new site looks! It’s wat i’d like to term ‘pleasure-able-reading’ =)
Keep writing for the sake of a better Malaysia
Hi Anil,
I am Aloysiu from B’worth. Just dropping a note to say Hi! and How have you been? I am sure you are looking forward for a better Penang now, after this election. Been reading some of the stuffs you have been writing - very enlightening. Keep writing and let the words flow. By the way I find it easier to access your blog this time around compared to before. Anyway just wanna keep in touch and Blessed Easter to you. I am still in India - and following up the happenings at home via Malaysia Today and Malaysia Kini. Meanwhile you take care and God Bless. Will see you when I see you next. Cheers!
Hi Anil
Great stuff. Enjoy the writing. Stumbled on to your blog and now it’s become a regular on my ‘must read’ list.
How do I send you articles that may be of interest and could be posted on your blog?
“Discard the ‘noise’ of religion and return to the beginning, to the simplicity of the Greatest Commandment - Mark 12: 28-34″
God Bless
hi..finally i found ur blog..i also read ur articles on aliran,coz one of my profesor also there…
may i ask u to be my fellow…coz i am like to write an article/journal but i dont know how to start with..so i hope u can give me some advise aobut it..
TQ
Hi Anil,
Keep up the good work.
Hi,
I like the part you say about inspiration not always at hand and come share a tot …..
Well, here’s one.
For as long as I remember, I have offended many whenever Chinamen met and I am always the insolent one who unhesitatingly ( unashamedly too!) declare ” I’m not Chinese”.
One episode which shall forever remain in my memory was when while sitting in some secluded corner on a mountain top in India’s Mt Abu, a group of very chinese Chinese ( from Beijing) walked towrds me and started a chat. In Chinese, Mandarin. Aisay ! I may look Chinese. I may even be Chinese. But for me to carry on a conversation in Mandarin would be akin to asking me to ask a Thai how to go to Wat Arun while you are lost near Hualumphong.
And so, I firmly declared ” I am not Chinese !” Imagine the infuriated verbal onslaughts I received for this simple statement.But to be fair, this group was rather nice. We even got sentimental at the airport during our goodbyes.
Same thing when I said the same thing at a meditation retreat with a whiteman monk. The group of Malaysian Chinese were clearly disgusted, and the honourable reverend must have thought I was simply trying to cocky.
OK . OK . ” So you are Malaysian ! ”
Yes and No !
Yes, because I am in fact and in truth a Malaysian. No because there’s something else about something which I myself am not quite sure of.
Eureka. I found my answer two days ago.There was this news report about albinoes being ostracised , even driven out of town and beaten to death in Tanzania.
Now what is an albino ? It seems to me, he is a species of homo sapien in its original state. Without the colouration in his skin. Without this colouration caused by environmental factors of weather to protect his health. Meaning take away the environment and its hazardous exposures, all of us are albinoes.
If so, wherefor the necessity to classify ourselves as Chinese, Indians, Malays , Punjabis or white men ?
In actual fact, everyone of us, 6.8 billion of us came from no more than 50 ape-like individuals in a community of early humans at or a little later than Lucy.That’s about 3 million years ago. The fact is, our forefathers only left Africa some 350,000 years ago. Earlier batches who left have none standing anymore, the last to die out, most probably the Neanderthals or even the Flores man.
If we are so certain that all of us came out of Africa and all of us share the same ancestry, being Chinese, Indians or Malays are merely classifications for convenience. Not our race !!! Our race IS AND must BE the Human Race !!! Period.
Maybe because I write this on my immigration card whenever I go abroad I seem to get some troubles now and then at the point of entry.Sometimes I even write atheist for religion.
Whatever, I think this would be one good source for your next intellectual treatise on the foolishnish for Malaysians to go on and on about ” You Chinese, I Indian He Malay ! ”
We are all ” Africans!!!!” lar ! Better I call myself human than African as to call myself African, my hair would simply drop off just from the non-stop burning stares of people on the street wondering . ” Po dar… African ? Why no African hair ? ! ”
have a nice day.
kind regards
anil,
every blogs in yesterday news call for the donation,with out accounts number for rpk cause.
Its for such a intelligent people like you and blogs owner not prepared in proper accounts to be channel to defend someone.
This rpk case is a text case.THe goverment is testing the blogs water and this sucessfull,u,me and the bloggers are looking for trouble.
Call your blogs gang to set up a trust fund and make sure every blogs put a banner of the bank name,accounts number and the person name.(ITS SHOULD BE ONE ACCOUNT)
THIS FUND CAN BE USE TO DEFEND WHOEVER BLOGS and bloggers.DONT OVERLOOK THIS MATTER.
rAJ RAMAN.WASTED HALF A DAY TO VERIFY WHETHER THE ACCOUNTS TO DONATE IS GENUINE OR NOT.
Would like to support the tram for Penang project. My nephew an architect did the upgrading of the tram system in Melboure, Australia about a year ago. If you wish to gether more inform you can contact him at Lawrencewcleong@hotmail.com.
Anil,FYI, alot of people in Penang are having the thought and impression that Kho Soo Khoo and Teng Hock Nam is deceiving the Prime Minister AAB when they invited him to officiate and launch the PGCC project back in September 2007 at Bukit Jambul Hotel.
In actual TRUTH & FACT OF THE MATTER is even the PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI already knows that the PGCC project is not approved by the Penang State Government yet at that material time and YET our Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to LAUNCH IT.!!!!
I was at the Offcicial PGCC launching at that time attended by the Penang State District Officer,Kho Soo Khoon,Patrick Lim,Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, etc etc…
After the Pep talk by Patrick Lim and Kho Soo Khoon on the wonders of the project etc Pak Lah was invited to say a few words and to officially launch the project PGCC.To my HORROR….the first sentence that came out from our Prime Minister made my jaws drop wide open and I said to myself Huh…????.
Quote & PM AAB, said and admited to the audience that ‘ HE WAS FORCED TO COME TO OFFICIATE THE LAUNCHING BY PATRICK LIM ” What the heck.!!!!?????
How can a PM say that, slip of the tounge maybe..? I was thinking who is Patrick Lim so strong and powerful that he can force a PM to attend and to officiate and launch an UNAPPROVED PROJECT…???? Until today I am wondering who is actually pulling the strings behind the drama..?
This is the openning sentence and worst to come is the ending sentence from PM AAB speech at the launching I practically fell of my chairs so to speak after hearing PM AAB last sentence on this PGCC project during the closing of his speech.
PM AAB, made an appeal to the State and Land Office to quick approved the processing and application of the project papers and requested all parties involved to cooperate and to make the approval run smoothly and as soon as possible.
This shows and proof that our PM AAB, already knows before hand that this PGCC project is NOT APPROVED AT THAT MATERRIAL TIME, yet he is there to officially launch the project and to appeal to Penang State Government and all parties to expediate the approval asap.
This makes me wonder..?
PM AAB has prior knowledge that PGCC project is not approved yet he is willing to come to officially launch this particular project and appeal on behalf of Patrick Lim to the Penang State Government and Penang State Land Office and all relavant govt agencies to quickly expediate PGCC’s approval…!!!!
This make one wonder why is PM AAB so incline and supporting this project even though the population is against it.!!!
What is the interest…?????
Unfortunately for Patrick Lim & company, and God having his ways..the tables were suddenly turned on elaction day and Penang State became an opposition State Government.
And the truth comes out and still more will come out I believe for those doing bad things..their Karma will catch up with them.
Let’s wait till the end of the PRC & PGCC drama to unfold and come to it’s end.Then all will see the truth,who cheated the Penang State & it’s people and they must pay for it..!!! God is greated than the sum of them vultures and Karma will not let them escape in this life time.Peoples of Penang will not be run over by Federal people and robbed by vultures and be deceived anymore.
People Of Penang must bring those involved to Justice…!!!