The Future Must Be Green
5 min read
The bird catchers came on Sunday, three men smoking cigarettes and talking in loud voices. They settled in the tiny padang beside my garden. “Catching bir...
TEDx Weld Quay's Artistry within offers Penang a different stroke
1 min read
On October 12 this year, Penang hosts the TEDx Weld Quay, named after the charming clan jetties at the water edge of George Town. To be held a...
Embracing Islam's Diversity
7 min read
What is the historical background of the Sunni-Shiite conflict?There are two major schools among Muslims: the As-Sahabah school (the companions, disciples,...
Time to mainstream forensic science
6 min read
During my studies in the UK, the murder trial of Stephen Lawrence was something no forensic science student could afford to overlook. With double jeopardy laws...
Devotion to the nine emperors
2 min read
Every year, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, devotees of the Nine Emperor Gods celebrate for nine days and nights, creating places of inten...
The GST & YOU
15 min read
The likelihood is very high that the National Budget being tabled on October 25 will introduce the country to a Goods and Services Tax (GST). This move is drive...
Make our main roads Welcoming for Walkers
4 min read
Penang Island has undergone tremendous changes in the popular mode of transport over the last few decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, when there were not too many...
Is Petronas feeding a fatal habit?
7 min read
The first oil well in Malaysia was called the Grand Old Lady. This was in Miri, Sarawak. Also known as Oil Well No. 1, it was operated by the Royal Shell Compan...
Bukit Brown activism- A race to save history
6 min read
Standing amidst 173 acres of lush and undisturbed undergrowth in Bukit Brown, Singapore, one becomes aware of a sense of urgency in the air. A loose group...
Ending Child Soldiering in Myanmar
7 min read
The Myanmar state army – the Tatmadaw – has discharged 176 child soldiers since September 2012 as part of the Joint Action Plan between the governme...
Online Platforms That Run Errands For You
4 min read
Shawn (not his real name) was excited; he had booked a hotel room where he planned to propose to his girlfriend. A day before the event, he came down with a hea...
Virtual Classrooms are virtually here
8 min read
At school I had decent handwriting, but it’s been steadily getting worse. More worryingly, the other day I was handed a paper map and absentmindedly tried...