Category Archives: On the Beat

The island is actually the largest island in Malaysia followed by Pulau Bruit (in Sarawak) and Pulau Langkawi. My hometown island, Penang, is fourth. With an area of 440.7 sq km, its unique location off the northern coast of Sabah […] Continue Reading

Certainly it shouldn’t be President Barack Obama, however popular he may be globally. Even if he has already got a Nobel Prize for merely delivering good speeches or has just been named Time’s Person of the Year. For sure, it […] Continue Reading

I thought I was the only one with this problem as my wife is from Penang. It is almost legendary that the islanders, especially the women, hold onto their purse tightly. Penangites may no longer bring eggs to the char […] Continue Reading

Four non-Muslims – two men on a plane-spotting outing and a couple in a park – have been issued with summonses for khalwat. The summonses were for “indecent behaviour” but the four have denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the municipal […] Continue Reading

Everything seems to have just zapped past our eyes and it’s frightening because I can still remember vividly the parties I attended during the festive seasons. The only thing that has not happened is the general election. For many, lives […] Continue Reading

There are many Chinese voters, swayed by anti-establishment sentiments towards Barisan Nasional, who have been easily convinced that the Islamist party is perfectly acceptable and that hudud laws would not encroach into the lifestyle of non-Muslims. So they take a […] Continue Reading

With newer and smarter phones in the market, there are no other compelling reasons why I should hold on to the BB. It cannot download The Star’s e-paper, a digital replica of our print edition, and does not have the […] Continue Reading

Last Saturday, the Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI) conducted a talk on “Islamic State: Which Version? Whose Responsibility?” with the keynote address by Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, director of the Islamic Renaissance Front. The forum was held at […] Continue Reading

It is more likely that they will use their booty to buy drugs or pay off loan sharks for their escalating gambling debts. There is obviously a correlation between gambling and crime. Nobody commits crime for entertainment or to make […] Continue Reading

Talk of a famous fish head curry restaurant being robbed has sparked off a chain reaction with many eateries now taking a more cautious approach. For good measure, there are enough video clips, recorded from CCTVs and posted on YouTube, […] Continue Reading