Aliran mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a brave, towering and progressive leader whose influence and desire for peace extended beyond the Catholic Church.
This was a religious leader who sided with the oppressed, the poor and the marginalised in society.
In some way, the DAP party polls today has sprung a few surprises as certain party stalwarts put up a poor showing.
But has anything within the party really changed in terms of its thinking on the type of development suitable for the people?
A sermon by Fr Fabian Dicom
There is a moment in every spiritual journey when we are asked to see more than we are comfortable seeing. Not with our physical eyes, but with something deeper – the eyes of the heart.
Each of today’s readings is about vision. Not the vision of ordinary sight, but the vision that changes everything – the kind that shifts our understanding of who we are, where we are and what God is doing.
As Aliran celebrated its 48th anniversary at Penang’s Majestic Theatre last Saturday, the contrast with our previous gathering seven years earlier could not have been starker.
Gone was the heady optimism that hung in the air, four months after the stunning electoral upset in the 2018 election.
Read this excerpt from a Singapore Straits Times report:
To quickly disperse traffic in the Bukit Chagar area when the RTS Link is up and running, a driverless tram-bus network called the autonomous rapid transit (ART), which runs on tracks across bridges and viaducts, is expected to serve passengers, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Feb 13.
The elevated ART system is favoured by Malaysia’s federal government to connect passengers to other parts of southern Johor state, Mr Loke told reporters, compared with a light rail transit (LRT) system that would be more costly to build and take a longer time to complete.
“An LRT system can only accommodate a single rail system, whereas the ART can have the flexibility of both a bus and rail (tram) system,” he said.
“The implementation of the (ART) system is also more economical and it can be built faster,” he added at the signing ceremony for the project, which is jointly developed by Malaysia’s Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) and local conglomerate Sunway Group.
A Johor state official said recently that such LRT and ART networks could cost around RM20 billion and RM7 billion, respectively.
The federal and state governments must explain why they are opting for an expensive RM17bn LRT system in Penang when they are choosing a more economical option for Johor.
Remember, the Penang state government’s annual budget is around RM1.0bn while the Penang Island City Council’s annual budget is around RM0.6bn.
How will the federal government, which is already saddled with RM1.5tn in debt, finance the LRT? And who will pay for any annual operational losses if the LRT ridership falls short of projections?
In recent days, we have been given some inkling of the total cost of Penang transport infrastructure over the next decade.
The Edge has provided some indicative figures for the elevated light rail transit’s cross-channel stretch and the systems work for the entire stretch.
More details have emerged about the Penang light rail transit known as the Mutiara Line.
The LRT was first proposed in the “SRS PTMP”, the transport plan that was put forward by the Gamuda-led SRS Consortium.
A message from La Salle Br Anthony Rogers:
Before you forget 2024, recall just three of your most beautiful and joyful memories and try in 2025 to make it SIX.
A happier you is a better Malaysia and more loving world. Your self-care, a kind word, an act of caring and openness to others outside our walls are the bridges to change strangers into God’s friends.
As Malaysia assumes the chair of Asean on 1 January, the nation faces critical choices at home and abroad.
Global tensions, regional turmoil and domestic challenges demand serious attention.
Global challenges
China and Russia’s rivalry with the US has intensified, with Brics being set up to rival Western hegemony.
This message by Fr Fabian Dicom:
Tonight, we come together from many different places, each with our own story – some filled with joy and tradition, others seeking something deeper, and some perhaps simply searching for peace in a world that often feels uncertain.
Whether you are a visitor, here for the first time, returning for your annual mass, or not of the Catholic faith, know that you are warmly embraced and deeply welcomed.
Our guest writer today is La Salle Br Anthony Rogers, who wrote the following reflection for Christmas:
We cannot sing Joy to the World without tears in our eyes.
The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Life, was born in the Holy Land, but today, it is the graveyard of Death and horror of Sorrows.
When I was mulling over what to write this time, La Salle Bro Anthony Rogers texted to suggest I write about “Genocide at Christmas: Walking with the Palestinian Jesus into the 21st Century in the context of Jesus’ prayer for ‘Your Kingdom Come'”.
Really, how do we celebrate the birth of Jesus with joy and good tidings when a genocide is taking place in the Holy Land? Many of the Christmas celebrations in church and outside are taking place without even a mention of the massacres not far from Bethlehem.
This book by Jesuit priest Paul Dass has recently been published: Integral Human Development: History and Memory – A Local Church Chronicle
Read the foreword by Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Julian Leow:
Remembering our past makes our present strong. A strong present helps us build a strong future.
This book by Fr Paul Dass, SJ about the history of the practice of integral human development in the life of the local Church helps us to remember our past so as to build our future.
This was the scene at the Penang International Dragon Boat Regatta last Sunday.
Someone from the state government gushed over the “stunning waterfront” at Straits Quay. But this ‘moonscape’ photo reveals something else – the utter desolation which will soon make way for high-density property development.
Aliran has come out with a statement calling for real protection for the whistleblower in the eye of the storm:
A whistleblower’s allegation that multiple state assembly members were involved in a major corruption scandal is serious enough for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate it urgently.
A primary schoolmate of mine from Penang reflects on precious moments from a generation past:
Do you remember those lazy Sunday mornings, when the air was thick with the scent of spices and the promise of a hearty meal? Where we’d sit at those rickety wooden tables, eagerly awaiting a steaming bowl of white curry mee.
Aliran’s latest media statement below:
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s outrageous response to criticisms of his “acceptance” of Najib Razak’s empty 1MDB apology is deeply troubling.
Anwar did not just dismiss public concerns; he showed contempt for those alarmed by latest developments. In bizarrely calling himself “father of the nation” – an accolade usually bestowed by others – he also revealed a feudal, patriarchal streak, similar to former Prime Minister Mahiaddin “Abah” Yasin’s.
This cover story from the Edge caught my attention:
According to news reports, more than two million victims in China are estimated to have been deceived into investing in MBI. The investments reportedly totalled RM300 billion, way more than what was siphoned away in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
A banker points out that it would have been difficult for so much money to come into Malaysia without attracting the attention of Bank Negara.
“This incident happened after 2015, when Bank Negara was already under scrutiny for not raising a red flag when money came into the account of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Surely, if that kind of money flowed into MBI’s accounts in Malaysia, it would have caught the attention of the central bank,” he says.
Bank Negara investigated companies under MBI and its principal officers for money laundering activities and other offences related to financial services. Finally, Teow, his son, another director and two companies — MFace International and MBI Marketing — were fined a total of RM20 million in August 2018 for undertaking unauthorised payment activities.
Barisan Nasional has taken a commanding lead in Mahkota with 20,032 votes against Perikatan Nasional’s 5,065 at 7.30pm.
Will PN at least be able to match the 7614 votes in bagged in Mahkota in the 2022 Johor state election?