Category Archives: On the Beat

United in sports: The Olympic rings in the Place du Trocadéro in Paris. Malaysians of all races will be looking forward to seeing the country’s contingent marching into the stadium come July 26. — ANN JEA/Wikimedia Commons I CAN’T wait […] Continue Reading

Unbearable: There’s usually a sea of umbrellas in Kuala Lumpur nowadays as tourists try to protect themselves from the scorching sun. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star MOST Malaysians are quite aware about the importance of preserving the environment and the need […] Continue Reading

MALAYSIANS have become so pampered that the reduction or removal of subsidies on items stirs much unhappiness, and even ire, towards the government. Many of us are unaware that these subsidies, especially diesel and petrol, are non-existent in many oil-producing […] Continue Reading

FOR editors of mainstream news portals, the bane of their existence is undoubtedly the sheer volume of reader comments on their sites, which are becoming more vulgar and toxic. The height of this frenzy was probably displayed during the KK […] Continue Reading

THE case has attracted attention like bees to honey because it involves an alleged assault of a hearing-impaired ehailing driver and an escort for Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim. Of course, the incident needs to be thoroughly investigated by […] Continue Reading

Bustling metropolis: China has transformed tremendously since it began to open and reform its economy in 1978. Now more than 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the country. — Reuters TWO months following Malaysia Airlines’ maiden […] Continue Reading

Lingua franca: Most Penangites, including those of other racial groups, can easily speak or at least understand Hokkien. — KT GOH/The Star EVERY month, I routinely return to Penang. Although I’ve spent the last three decades in the Klang Valley, […] Continue Reading

In an era of digital disruptions and reduced attention span, everyone should learn this old journalistic adage: ‘Keep it short and simple’. THERE is a lesson for speakers in general – don’t bother to give a lecture, talk or sermon […] Continue Reading

IF I’m suffering from a life-threatening disease and laying helplessly on a hospital bed, it wouldn’t matter to me if the doctors and nurses trying to save my life were Type C, Type M or Type I – if that’s […] Continue Reading

The basic rules of journalism should apply, says the writer: Be able to back what you’ve reported, especially when it involves sensitive matters. — This visual is human-created, AI-aided. WHEN the Bloomberg editors approved the story about on-going talks to […] Continue Reading