Are Malaysians six times better off than they were in 1970?

GDP per capita (in real terms, after adjustment for inflation) now is apparently six to seven times more than it was in 1970, but do you feel much better off?Malaysia GDP per capita

How do we treat refugees in Malaysia?

What do you all make of this Al Jazeera video clip?

Shamrock Beach in Penang marred by rubbish

David sends us this observation:On a recent stopover at Pantai Shamrock, along the Tanjung Bungah/Batu Feringghi road, I bring to your attention a condition that I feel is breaching regulations.

Negara-Ku People’s Movement roadshow comes to Penang

Negara-Ku-roadshow-in-PenangThe forum in Penang this Saturday is being organised by Suaram and Aliran.

1MDB: Who are Bridge Partners?

No, it is not the people with whom the 1MDB folks play the card game bridge. Rather, Bridge Partners is the Hong Kong-based fund manager 1MDB appointed to manage RM7.7bn in funds in the Cayman Islands.

1MDB’s predicament

1MDB’s predicament can be summed up as follows:

Maha Tower in MahaCity in Langkawi

This 138-metre-high monstrosity, near the proposed Maha Boulevard in Maha City appears to be coming to Langkawi soon and is set to mar the natural beauty of the island.
Maha Tower in Maha City
Maha Tower in Maha City

Study finds forced labour in Malaysian electronics industry

A US-funded study has found that at least 28 per cent of workers in a sample of 501 workers in the Malaysian electronics industry “were found to be in situations of forced labour”. Is this the type of investment we want?

Province Wellesley or Seberang Perai?

According to the MPSP president, Province Wellesley is still the gazetted name of mainland Penang though the council itself is known as Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP).

RMAF base relocation: MPSP has not received any application

The Seberang Perai Municipal Council is in the dark over a reported plan to relocate the RMAF base in Butterworth.

Cartoonist Zunar called in for sedition probe

Zunar has been asked to report at the Dang Wangi Police Station on 20 November at 3.00pm for investigation under Section 4 (1) (c) of the Sedition Act.zunar dan majalah

Who is Benz Ali?

A group of performers read poetry outside Sogo yesterday evening.
Poetry buff Benz Ali was among those performing outside Sogo

Fahmi Zainol and team blocked from speaking inside USM – heckled outside

I spotted a group outside USM this afternoon and didn’t realise what was going on until much later. Turns out that the gathering was part of the Jelajah roadshow by a group of university students to “free the universities” in the country.The group was reportedly barred from speaking at USM by campus head of security Assoc Prof P Sundramoorthy, who asked them to disperse.

The untold Seberang Perai story

Seberang Perai or Province Wellesley has a rich history which has not often been shared with a wider audience.Seberang Perai Story

1MDB’s borrowings climb from RM36bn to RM42bn

1MDB’s borrowings have risen from RM36bn last year to RM42bn at the end of March 2014.1mdb - 2014 Balance Sheet liabilities

Penangite links up with Lithuanian to publish children’s book with a difference

It’s not often that you come across a vividly illustrated children’s book relating the adventures of a young person in the streets of a city trying to unravel a mystery after dark. And this city bears some resemblance to George Town.A new children’s book, Twee and the Mysterious Howl, by writer Rosalind Chua and illustrator Artur Sirin was launched in Penang on 8 November with a launch in Europe expected next year.

Jamming in support of migrant and refugee rights

Come on everyone, let’s show our support – and have some fun in the process – for the rights of migrants and refugees, who often suffer much exploitation and abuse.
Migrants and refugees
Migrants and refugees

1MDB would have shown much larger loss if not for RM897m property revaluation

1MDB would have showed a much larger loss than its RM669m loss before tax if it hadn’t included in its books a surplus on revaluation of investment properties amounting to RM897m.1mdb - 2014 Accounts1 P&L

EXPOSED: Tony Blair’s lucrative cash-for-contacts deal with 1MDB-funded PetroSaudi

The Sunday Times in the UK has a massive expose on that war criminal Tony Blair:
TONY BLAIR secured a secret contract with an oil company founded by a senior member of the Saudi royal family for a fee of £41,000 a month and a 2% commission on any of the multimillion-pound deals he helped broker, a leaked document reveals.The contract agreed in November 2010 between Tony Blair Associates (TBA) and the oil firm PetroSaudi involved the former premier arranging introductions to his contacts in China, including senior political figures. The firm was told it could not divulge Blair’s role to anyone without permission.

Eight student reps held in Sabah now FREED

0131 (Monday): “Menurut Pengerusi Pro-M UMSKK, saudara Muhammad Asyraf Che Ani, kesemua yang ditahan telah dibebaskan. Syabas!” So says a tweet by @MsiswaGANYANG.The eight, who were being held at the Karamusing Police Station, are Fahmi Zainol, Ainullutfi, Asyraf Che Ani, Fathihie, Jamhuri, Fadhil, Nazrin, and Tan Choonan. They were without a lawyer.