Government and Politics

By Dr Helmy Haja Mydin

18 May 2009: Dr Steven Chow, president of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioner’s Association of Malaysia, recently spoke against Malaysia’s participation in the ASEAN Free Trade Area’s liberalisation of healthcare services, stating that such a move is unlikely to encourage foreigners to start their business in small towns, where the problem of shortage and poor access to healthcare was more apparent. This protectionist excuse is unsurprising, given that he has his members' interest to take care of.

20 April 2009

by Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz

The proposed Key Performance Indicators are a genuine improvement though, and these should be carefully considered and implemented. Although having lived in Blair’s Britain I hasten to add that KPIs have their own shortfalls: achieving the targets can become so obsessive that statistics are manipulated, when in fact there has been no change on results on the ground. One specific example from the UK is patients being shifted from one hospital waiting list to another, to satisfy targets on waiting times.

Wan Saiful Wan Jan

19 March 2009: Poverty eradication can only happen in Malaysia if measures to strengthen property rights protection, both physical property as well as intellectual property, are incorporated as an important pillar of the nation’s poverty alleviation strategy. Policy-makers, including those in the Ministry for Rural and Regional Development, and political leaders should take heed. IPRI 2009 provides clear evidence of this.

Syed Haizam Jamalullail and Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
13 March 2009

The Conference of Rulers, a unique gathering of monarchs with origins in the Durbar of 1897, convenes for the 216th time this week since its first meeting in this format on 31 August 1948. Throughout its history it has made many important decisions as required by the Constitution, and has acted as a check and balance in the interplay between the branches of government. In addition to their independent roles in their own kingdoms as Heads of State, the Conference enables them to act collectively on matters pertaining to the federation as a whole.

Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
6 March 2008

I’ve been getting emails from friends who intend to “celebrate” 8 March on Sunday, but I think the appropriate gesture would be merely to reflect upon what’s happened since that date in 2008.

24 Februari 2009, Kuala Lumpur: In a study released today by the Malaysia Think Tank, data shows that countries that protect the physical and intellectual property of their people enjoy nearly nine times higher GDP per capita than countries ranking lowest in property rights protections. The study, the 2009 International Property Rights Index (IPRI), compared the protections of physical and intellectual property to economic stability in 115 countries representing 96 per cent of the world's GDP.

Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
20 February 2009

In the nineties, prior to their landslide victory in the British general election of 1997, New Labour campaigned extensively to highlight “Tory sleaze”. This encompassed allegations of sexual misbehaviour and financial impropriety, and it was extremely effective. Up until today the Conservative Party is still caricatured as the “nasty party”, although activists have come up with publications such as The Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze to expose the misdeeds of the politicians on the government side. Even in sexually liberated Britain, where a thirteen year old can be up for a paternity test against other boys under the age of consent, associating politicians with sleaze continues to be an effective tactic in bringing them down, so it is no wonder that Malaysians are fast becoming connoisseurs of sleaze – even if the criteria are somewhat hazy (sleeping naked in one’s own bed is reportedly a common preference). Encouragingly there has been some cross-party support for Elizabeth Wong, in response to a recognition that these episodes are damaging to both sides – and an acknowledgement that there may be many other actors at work.

A Malaysia Think Tank Event featuring Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Waytha Moorthy

"A conversation on the future of ethnic relations in Malaysia"

Venue: Newcastle University, Lecture Theatre D (Dental School)
Date: Sunday 22 February 2009
Time: 1pm to 2.30pm

by Wan Saiful Wan Jan

7 February 2009: Since mid-2008, former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim popularised the notion that it was acceptable to lure government MPs to defect across party lines, to allow the Opposition to form a new government. This has now taken place, but not quite the way Anwar planned.

Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
6 February 2009

The riveting events of this week will form a permanent part of the continuing narrative of Malaysian political change. As the country awaits the judgment of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Perak, the lawyers are beavering away through the laws and precedents to determine the possible outcomes, while the politicians await impatiently a decision they know could have serious nationwide repercussions. All are united in agreeing that much depends on the Head of State, and all are confident that the judgment of Perak’s thirty-fourth sultan, in the midst of celebrating his silver jubilee, will be in the long-term interests of his silver kingdom.