Opinion - The Malaysian Insider

Ikhtilaf – rahmat atau laknat?

“Al-ikhtilaaf feee ummatee rahmah”(ikhtilaf dalam umatku adalah rahmat). Itu bunyi hadis Nabi Muhammad dalam isu ikhtilaf. Maksud ‘ikhtilaf’ secara bahasa ialah sesuatu yang berganti-ganti...

To love and to want

I write today, still from the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, in a settlement called La Resbalosa, where 11 years ago, the community witnessed a massacre of two families, including...

My Bangladeshi friend Raja

During my college days, I worked part-time at a restaurant – working part-time while pursuing higher education was quite popular even before the current minister in charge had suggested it. As...

Registration of blogs, a draconian move

During the weekend, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that there are plans for the registration of blogs under the Ministry of Communication and Multimedia as a way to stop...

Hang Tuah hanya mitos? – Bahagian 2

Apakah Hang Tuah benar-benar wujud dalam sejarah atau sekadar watak dongeng hasil kreatif kesusasteraan Melayu bertujuan mengangkat keagungan kerajaan Melayu Melaka pada abad ke-15? Inilah...

Mat Sabu tidak keseorangan

Mohamad Sabu atau lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu sekali lagi menjadi perhatian umum terutama media apabila muncul isu beliau perlu membayar ganti rugi berjumlah RM200,000 kepada bekas timbalan...

Another lost opportunity to address religious extremism

As largely anticipated, the debate between Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and Zamihan Mat Zin of Pertubuhan Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Malaysia (Aswaja), has been called off on the...

1.5 million reasons to review our economic policies

The government's attempt to bring in 1.5 million unskilled Bangladeshi workers has opened up a Pandora's Box of questions, not to mention xenophobic comments from many Malaysians. The...

Bersih 4 t-shirt ban underestimates people’s wisdom

Last week, the Shah Alam High Court upheld the government’s decision to ban Bersih 4 t-shirts and related printed materials. The decision comes after Bersih 4 organisers filed a judicial review...

Mengapa perlu pecahkan kawan?

Saya memerintah sebuah negeri yang mempunyai 40 Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun). Untuk menjadi ketua, saya memerlukan sokongan sekurang-kurangnya 21 Adun. Malangnya, parti saya hanya...

Umat Islam atau menteri keliru?

Apabila menteri atau timbalan menggunakan hujah “mengelirukan umat Islam”, persoalan sering kali timbul dalam sanubari penulis, apakah benar umat Islam begitu lemah sehingga mudah dikelirukan...

The ugly side of the immigrant-hating Malaysian

A friend from a neighbouring country recently made a trip to Malaysia and he recounted a situation he witnessed where a customs officer was berating and physically-manhandling a Bangladeshi...

Surat terbuka untuk anak Zahid Hamidi

Pertama sekali, saya ingin mengucapkan tahniah kerana dapat pangkat Datuk dalam usia yang begitu muda. Berdasarkan pemerhatian saya, mendapat Datuk di negara ini adalah semudah kentut jika kamu...

The myth of the urban and educated voter

Recently, I came across a response to an essay I had written for another publication. In it, the author argued that my analysis overlooked the “urban, educated Malays” and suggested that they are...

Sorry, no kick

Oh, I hate bandwagons. They are noisy and clamorous, demanding your attention. What I resist most about bandwagons is the pressure to subscribe to a mass mentality. You must, it's good for you....

Address behavioural issues to make change happen

There is no shortage of social issues today that require holistic interventions that integrate state-run programmes, community involvement and voluntary initiatives to address the people’s basic...

Demi rakyat, negara, Najib perlu segera saman WSJ atau letak jawatan

Semalam 18 Februari 2016, pengarang kewangan The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Ken Brown dalam wawancara bersama ABC News Australia berkata wang derma RM2.6 bilion bukan daripada keluarga diraja Arab...

God quits Twitter and denies us a hell of a debate

God has announced that he will be closing down his Twitter account. The announcement was made on February 17, 2016 and his last tweet read "Justice". With 2.3 million followers, the reason...

Lim Kit Siang, direbus tak empuk

Kami memanggilnya "Lao Da", kalimat bahasa Mandarin yang secara mudahnya bermaksud "ayahanda". Esok, 20 Februari, genap usia Lao Da 75 tahun, dan nampaknya belum ada tanda-tanda untuk ahli...

Kids taking drugs, a big problem

We need to talk about drugs and how some of our children are becoming addicts. A recent report by Persatuan Anti Dadah AIDS Malaysia (PADM) identified rampant drug use among children as young...