Author Archives: Tricia

Seeking religious shelter

Seeking religious shelter This was first published in theSun here, on 30 April 2015. OVER the weekend, I travelled to Kuala Krai in Kelantan, one of the worst hit areas during the December floods. Five months later, many families are still … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Leave a comment

In pursuit of freer trade

First published in theSun on 9 April 2015, here. IT IS significant that Malaysia is chair of Asean this year, at the end of which the Asean Economic Community is to be fully implemented, at least according to the blueprint. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

To whom is the IGP accountable?

(Written on 31 March 2015, and not published elsewhere). Last Monday evening, one of our IDEAS National Unity Youth Fellows, a young student from Universiti Malaya, heard that a few of his friends were arrested at the anti-GST protest in … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Public Administration, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

Follow the money

First published in theSun here, on 19 March 2015. AT its annual report launch last week, Bank Negara deputy governor gave a relatively healthy assessment of the country’s economy. So glowing was the report, however, that several members of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Economics, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

How independent is the MACC?

First published in theSun here on 26 February 2015. Congratulations are due to the 26 members of the three independent panels of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), 19 of whom are new appointees. In his speech, Prime Minister Najib Razak … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Corruption | Leave a comment

Remembering the Tunku

First published in theSun here, on 12 February 2015. “IT was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, General Politics, Reflections, The Cause | Leave a comment

All policy is local

First published in theSun here, on 29 January 2015. EARLIER this week, the PAS president’s statement that local council elections would eventually lead to racial riots raised ire among civil society, as well as members of his own coalition party member, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethno-Religious Politics, Federalism, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Oil and a more open budget

(First published in the Edge Malaysia on 12 January 2015, here). THE budget department of the Malaysian Treasury could be spooked by the current low price of crude oil that has fallen by almost half since Budget 2015 was announced, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Oil and Gas, Public Administration, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

Where values begin

(First published in theSun on 8 January 2015, here). FOR all of our technical analysis of how to improve such-and-such a public policy, the most current of which being the deforestation decisions that may have contributed largely to the flood disaster, … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Ethno-Religious Politics, Liberalism, Philosophy, Religion, The Cause | Leave a comment

Moderates break their silence

(First published in theSun on 12 December 2014, here). ABOLISHING the Sedition Act would not quite result in madness and mayhem, as some would have us believe, but in the likes of towering Malaysians standing up against supremacist NGOs. Earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Ethno-Religious Politics, General Politics, Religion | Leave a comment