Giving federalism a future
5 min read
Universiti Sains Malaysia's funding in 2009 was RM9oo million. Penang's state budget was RM477 million.ALTHOUGH MALAYSIA officially practises federalism,...
Making green policies sustainable
5 min read
MUCH MORE could and should have been accomplished at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The Copenhagen Accord that was finally signed b...
Cat on the prowl
5 min read
Transparency and accountability were key themes in the electoral campaign of opposition parties two years ago. At that time, Barisan Nasional governments at s...
Betting on better public transport
7 min read
THE IMAGE OF a CEO with a full business suit opting to hop onto an LRT or monorail instead of taking his chauffeur-driven car is not one we Malaysians can eas...
Democracy is essentially local
7 min read
Both the state governments of Penang and Selangor announced in March this year that they had written separate letters to the Election Commission asking for loca...
Safety in the cities
8 min read
A horrific incident occurred in April in Shah Alam, Selangor, that will sadly be merely an additional statistic in the growing list of police shootings record...
Democratising women
6 min read
Part of the excitement associated with the March 8, 2008 election results when Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over four (now three) state governments was that it sign...
Information in restricted public space
7 min read
ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL pillars of any modern democracy is a free mass media. It is through transparent and responsible reporting by independent journalists that...
Civil servants at an impasse
5 min read
Since taking over several state governments, one of the areas the Pakatan Rakyat has had to contend most with is the civil service. A majority of the bureaucrat...
We can’t afford bad waste management
7 min read
Whilst the words "green" and "sustainable" have been gaining popularity in both the public and private sectors in Malaysia, it is worrying that problems associa...
Comparing The State Budgets of Penang and Selangor
7 min read
Amidst the noise and clamour of Malaysia’s politics, it is easy to forget that daily responsibilities continue for governments and bureaucrats...
Tighter cooperation between Pakatan Rakyat-run states
6 min read
From left to right: Former Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz, Selangor Mente...