The Malaysian Insider

NOV 7 — I am currently in Britain meeting Malaysians and talking to them about politics. I was also recently in the United States, at the Bay Area in California, for a similar purpose

It was heartening to see the strong level of interest that Malaysians residing in both countries showed in the political situation back home, especially after the last general election. They asked the usual questions: like whether Pakatan Rakyat can win in the next polls, and when will we resolve our internal difficulties.

Sept 16 — Perhimpunan Khas Sambutan Hari Malaysia di Dewan Jubli Perak Selangor baru sahaja selesai.

Sebagai anggota jawatankuasa penganjur program tersebut, saya gembira program tersebut yang dihadiri wakil rakyat, pegawai kerajaan dan ahli majlis daripada segenap pelusuk Selangor berlangsung dengan baik.

SEPT 4 — Baru-baru ini Parti Demokratik Jepun (DPJ) mencipta sejarah apabila memenangi pilihan raya umum Jepun menewaskan Parti Liberal Demokrat (LDP) yang memerintah Jepun hampir terus-menerus selama lima dekad.

DPJ sebuah parti muda, yang dibentuk kira-kira sedekad lalu dan menghimpunkan suatu gabungan besar terdiri daripada bekas anggota LDP dan beberapa parti kecil sosok kiri dan tengah yang lain.

Di Asia, sejarah sama turut tercipta beberapa kali — kekalahan Parti Kongres kepada Parti Bharatiya Janata (BJP) pada 1998 di India; kekalahan Parti Kuomintang kepada Democratic Progressive Party di Taiwan pada 2000; kekalahan Grand National Party kepada Millennium Democratic Party di Korea Selatan pada tahun 1997; dan kekalahan Golkar di Indonesia pada 1999.

By Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

AUG 23 — As Muslims the world over begin their fast with the blessed month of Ramadan, perhaps it’s time for us to reflect on the role of religion in Malaysian society.

At a youth programme in Subang Jaya I attended recently, a friend of mine asked whether it was possible to move beyond the twin bugbears of religion and race that has poisoned in Malaysian politics and cleaved our people. This sentiment has been gaining some currency lately — the idea that religion should be removed from our public life. Many even see religion as something anachronistic to the modern world.

AUG 5 — I was unable to make it to last week’s anti-ISA gathering because I had to attend a family wedding in Penang. I did notice the roadblocks on the way to Kuala Lumpur as I drove up to Penang on Friday, the day before the assembly.

I was kept updated on the day itself while attending the wedding through SMSes, Facebook and Twitter via my Blackberry.

The next day, there was another wedding reception scheduled and I was tasked to drive a few family friends there. After exchanging pleasantries, I focused on my driving as the three middle-class Malay women — each of them aged about 60 years old — chatted at the back of my car.