Category Archives: On the Beat
Cairo traffic can drive you up the wall ( 17 May 1998 )
Traffic lights in Cairo appear to be merely for decoration, and the use of horn seems compulsory. Almost all vehicles, especially the city's 74,000 taxis, look like they should be in a junkyard but their brakes work perfectly. Motorists don't […] Continue Reading
Positive side of Egypt unknown to the world ( 10 May 1998 )
“We used to have at least 30 customers. Now, I am lucky if I get 10 tourists walking into my shop,'' he lamented. A gloom has settled over Egypt which earns over US$3bil a year from tourism. Like Malaysia, Egypt […] Continue Reading
Bus commuters let down by poor service ( 03 May 1998 )
Complaints of the bus companies serving only profitable routes are growing. MP for Senai Datuk Lim Si Cheng cited the case of a bus commuter from Damansara Utama taking more than two hours to reach Puduraya. “He had to wait […] Continue Reading
Jostling with the poor for scholarships ( 26 April 1998 )
Until a few years back, there was no such thing as education insurance, where early planning could be made. For most parents, the rejection of a university application means having to set aside a huge sum of money for their […] Continue Reading
Reading the signs of Sabah politics ( 19 April 1998 )
Once the election is over, the whole pattern repeats itself. More new parties and more defections. Sabah, regarded as the wild east of Malaysian politics, is not for the idealistic and faint-hearted. Politics in Sabah is about raw power. There […] Continue Reading
Meetings upon meetings with no solutions ( 12 April 1998 )
We have a water crisis, so a Cabinet committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is formed. This high-level committee, with its clout, is supposedly to end our problems at the crack of the whip. After all, […] Continue Reading
Need to tackle the bad press problem ( 05 April 1998 )
There is too much at stake. Malaysia needs to maintain goodwill with its neighbours and keep its standing in the international community at the same time. But it cannot be deaf to the sentiments of the majority of Malaysians, who […] Continue Reading
No raincheck on water supply ( 29 March 1998 )
After scooping pails of water from the pool, they called up newspaper offices to register their protest. Another city dweller resorted to bathing at the health club in Rennaisance Hotel because there was no water in his house for over […] Continue Reading
National interests must come first ( 22 March 1998 )
Risking their lives, they have turned up in rickety boats that made it through choppy waters, carrying with them hopes of a better life. Bringing along their families, they are prepared to be caught and sent back by the authorities […] Continue Reading
Unions fishing in troubled waters ( 15 March 1998 )
Some of its leaders have decided to vent their anger at critics including Fomca, giving the impression that the MTUC is unable to tolerate criticism which its unionists freely dispense almost daily though its press statements. A little humility doesn't […] Continue Reading
