Ensuring Growth to Ensure Sustainability
6 min read
The Singapore government recently faced public outcry following the release of a white paper on its country’s projected population growth rate. The paper...
Teeming, Tranquil Hanoi
5 min read
When you first wake up in the morning, you might not see Hanoi, but you can definitely hear it. This non-stop beep beep beep of motorbikes and cars accompanie...
How Far can Indonesia's Consumption-Driven Growth Go?
6 min read
The economic boom is visible in Jakarta, where construction leads the capital city's entry into a 21st century economy; the drive from the airport into the cent...
GE 13 can Cement Malaysia's Two-Coalition System
6 min read
Voters, you have to decide soon. The 13th general election (GE13) has to be held, at the latest, within two months of April 28, when the current government&rsqu...
One Party Rule Fades Away
7 min read
It’s now the fifth anniversary of the political tsunami of March 8, 2008. It’s also the 50th anniversary of Malaysia, the 67th year of Umno and the...
The Simple Life
To any islander, travelling to the mainland can almost be like travelling to another state or country. Kampung houses litter the vast, serene landscape, with la...
Early Days in Balik Pulau
9 min read
In March 1807 the East India Company’s assistant surveyor in Penang, Jeremiah McCarthy, was sent to reconnoitre the western part of the island. McCarthy h...
A Perfect Italian Lunch
3 min read
It’s always hard to find a great place for a business lunch. Somewhere not too stuffy, but still with good ambience. Somewhere with great food, and servic...
Behind the Burger Boom
6 min read
Ong Shen Yung thinks that a good burger is principally defined by its patty. “That’s the star of the show,” he tells me. “The meat that...
Nowhere to Run – Victims of Domestic Violence Need Our Help
7 min read
At one point during the interview, Dr Prema Devaraj shakes her head in dismay and this makes me consider if the question I just asked her was off-limits. &ldquo...
What Will a Second Term Mean for Penang and Selangor?
5 min read
Over the last five years, Selangor and Penang have experienced significant changes under new state governments. But despite the innovative policies implemented,...
Penang Paradigm
9 min read
The present stagnation of the Malaysian economy cannot in truth be blamed on the Global Financial Crisis that broke out in September 2008 and on the slow recove...