Category Archives: On the Beat

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

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

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

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

The leaders of the country's two largest  unions should have realised that  chicken, or a chicken-based meal,  is not only the cheapest meat but  also a Malaysian favourite. They are either out of touch with  consumer reality or have over-estimated […] Continue Reading

They hold no political position  but wield tremendous political  clout, with an uncanny ability to influence the political direction of a  party and even the country. The most obvious example is Sonia Gandhi, the 51-year-old widow  of former Indian Prime […] Continue Reading

It was not that the firm could not  afford a more decent meal for its  management team but it wanted to  impress upon them the need to be  austere given the uncertainties of  the coming months. “Chau mai fun is […] Continue Reading

Speculation has been rife since last year that snap elections will be called. Never mind the fact that the Barisan Nasional Government's full term only ends in mid-1999. These political speculators also seem to ignore the fact that the economic […] Continue Reading

With all the predicted doom and  gloom in the media, laughter has  become a scarce item these days   very much like sugar, one might  say. It's going to be more difficult to  lift the holiday spirit. But the Malaysian sense […] Continue Reading

In Red Corner,  Richard Gere plays an entertainment lawyer who is thrown into solitary confinement and denied his  legal rights after being set up.  In Seven Years in Tibet, Brad Pitt  plays a German mountaineer who  gets close to the […] Continue Reading