Category Archives: On the Beat

Beauty in diversity

IT’S so refreshing to see a Malaysian movie that’s prepared to tackle the issue of our racial and religious differences, since we have a beautifully plural society and nation. The timing of the movie is especially apt ahead of Malaysia […] Continue Reading

Religious revelations

IT’S like a leaf taken out of a handbook on creating controversies for some of our politicians. Whenever an issue crops up, the usual suspects will mouth off to say yea or nay in a way that distinguishes them as […] Continue Reading

Balancing act

Populated metropolis: Kuala Lumpur is a major international city, and it needs an able MP who knows KL, or the adjacent Selangor, to helm it. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star IT’S almost certain that the Prime Minister needs to make some […] Continue Reading

Plurality over polarisation

AROUND this time in 2000, I was seated in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur with the late Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew. It was his first visit to Malaysia in 10 years and he was eager to be updated […] Continue Reading

Come together

IT’S time to move on now that the elections in six states are over. Please remove the party flags and billboards as soon as possible because they’re truly an eyesore. They are a reminder of how Malaysia has continued to […] Continue Reading

Everything counts

Capturing the ballot boxes: Pakatan chairman Anwar needs to urgently give that extra push in Selangor, especially with the non-Malays, before Aug 12. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star ON the surface, Selangor seems to be a safe bet for […] Continue Reading

Worse for wear

Political fatigue might just be the buzzkill of the state elections. SEASONED journalists often cringe in embarrassment when their younger colleagues ask politicians facing an election if they are confident of winning and how many seats they expect to secure. […] Continue Reading

Unity first

THE campaigns for the six state elections haven’t even begun officially, yet the air is already choking with toxic political drivel. The arrest of Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor may result in sympathy for him and Perikatan Nasional, but […] Continue Reading

Newsmaker Ruler

The release of Sultan of Johor’s book ‘Johor Throne – HM Sultan Ibrahim’s First Decade of Rule’ is most timely. — Others HE calls a spade a spade. When the Sultan of Johor grants an interview, it’s likely to make […] Continue Reading

Nation over politicians

The state election will be a litmus test for the unity government and will determine whether the PKR-DAP-Barisan alliance can work together at grassroots levels. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star IT’S doubtless that when the elections in six states take place […] Continue Reading