Is Najib for real? Or is all this talk of reform just a pre-election ploy?
Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times, together with another correspondent Simon Roughneen. Continue reading »
Aug 132010
I notice press reports mentioning the DAP’s three promises should Pakatan take over Putrajaya:
- RM1,000 annually for senior citizens
- Free nationwide wifi
- Abolition of the postal summons (saman ekor)
Shouldn’t a progressive electoral platform highlight the following: Continue reading »
The majestic Democracy Tree: Visitors from all ethnic groups gathered here yesterday morning – (Click to expand) Photos by Kinta Kid
More visitors turned up in the evening; notice the bouquet beneath the tree
The BN knows what it needs to do to survive: it has to push through major reforms to wipe our corruption and abuse of power to win back lost support. But is it really capable of such reforms? This was the cover story I wrote for a recent issue of Aliran Monthly:
As the Umno election and general assembly in March approaches, the party faces a huge dilemma.
It is phasing out a leader (Abdullah Badawi) it feels is not suitable to lead the party following a general election setback last year which saw it lose its coveted two thirds parliamentary majority, while five out of 13 states fell to opposition hands.
Umno is now about to endorse a new leader, Najib Razak, whose own leadership credentials are in tatters following crushing by-election defeats in Permatang Pauh last August and Kuala Terengganu in January.
