Side Views - The Malaysian Insider

Sanctions against North Korea a hammer with no nails – Joseph M. DeThomas

North Korea’s recent nuclear and long-range rocket tests appear to have created a policy tipping point. Opinion in the United States, South Korea and Japan has shifted away from a policy of...

Street racing in KL – Billy Hoo

Just a few days ago, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, also known as Ku Nan, said the government is considering to close up some portion of the city’s roads for...

Legalising mat rempits – Tan Poh Kheng

It has become fashionable these days for anything illegal to get legalised. All that an illegal foreign worker needs is RM4,000 to get “bleached” and become legal, earning their ringgit...

Asia and the next financial crisis – East Asia Forum

The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 was a huge turning point in Asia. Asia’s confidence in the IMF and the US leadership to help through global institutions in a time of crisis was seriously...

Terror of Kalashnikov – Ayu Mellisa

While the world is busy with the rise of radical groups that spread terror, we may be ignoring what are in the hands of the terrorists, the weapons. Weapons of mass destruction are no longer...

Where has Malaysia gone wrong? – Musa Hitam

At the start of this discourse, let me first of all congratulate IDEAS for celebrating your 6th anniversary tonight. I notice that your leadership and membership list constitutes the young. This...

Is everyone a nobody now? – T.K. Chua

The former deputy prime minister and current Umno deputy president is now a nobody. In fact, it is worse than that but it is better for me not to mention it. The former menteri besar of Kedah...

English not the only language of science – Wan Ramli Wan Daud

Since my name was mentioned in the letter "A common medium" (The Star, February 18) by Datin Noor Azimah on the Dual Language Programme (DLP), I would like to respond to some of the issues raised...

WSJ has anti-Malaysia agenda – Salleh Said Keruak

The Wall Street Journal’s persistent attack on Malaysia and the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) based on unsubstantiated allegations and anonymous sources, which may not even exist in the...

Getting away from the ‘eat, smoke, drink and drive’ economy – Vishal Bhargava

At the end of last month, H.M. Sampoerna made its debut as part of the Indonesian benchmark index, LQ45. Being the largest listed company at the Jakarta Composite Index, it has for long been a...

Zika virus and its US$3.5 billion cost – Jay L. Zagorsky

The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been declared a "public health emergency of international concern" by the World Health Organization. The virus not only appears to severely harm unborn...

How universities make inequality worse – Stephen Parker

In the last 50 years higher education has expanded, but so has social inequality. There is a causal connection, one which can be reduced or dismantled to some extent. The Gini coefficient is a...

Apple v FBI could set a worrying precedent – Daniel Prince

Who controls what in the digital world? Apple is currently involved in a court face off with the FBI, and has refused to produce software that would help investigators to unlock the phone of San...

EPF must make prudent business decisions to maximise returns – Sin Chew Daily

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has announced a dividend rate of 6.4% for 2015. Although the rate is a shade below the 6.75% for 2014, the move is commendable given the generally uninspiring...

Please consult more for less blundering! – Ramon Navaratnam

As a former senior civil servant I am perplexed and politely ask – what has become of our national management of foreign workers and the consultation by and coordination in government, please. We...

The ‘Malay problem’ is not unique unto us – M. Bakri Musa

In the first part, I argued that the “Malay Problem” is real and not simply a myth. As such we could study, analyse and research it systematically so as to enable us to craft sensible solutions...

My favourite IGP – Zaid Ibrahim

It has been a week since I announced my plan to hold a gathering on March 27 of Malaysians who want Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step down. I have received many questions and requests for...

When our tigers roar no more – S.M. Mohd Idris

Yet more devastating news for our Malaysian tigers when one was caught in snare meant for trapping wild boars and an incident of a roadkill. How many tigers can we afford to lose? Both these...

Only God can judge me – Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim

I was informed by our club's website that there were a lot of negative comments on how Safiq Rahim's wife shook hands with me. There are a few individuals who are trying to be ustaz or the...

Don’t be selfish about English – Hussaini Abdul Karim

I refer to last week’s reports of a top-ranked Malaysian scientist who has thrown his weight behind a coalition to abolish the dual language programme (DLP), Putrajaya’s latest initiative to...