Category Archives: General Politics

Whose cause is Bersih’s?

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Tricia

First published in theSun on 3 September 2015, here. MANY of my urban, middle class friends and relatives went for their first ever rally last weekend, joining tens of thousands on the streets of Kuala Lumpur in a festive parade, … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Elections | Leave a comment

A prime minister’s powers

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Tricia

First published in theSun on 13 August 2015, here. THE news of the prime minister having removed the attorney-general and deputy prime minister; promoting the Public Accounts Committee chairman; and transferring several Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers shocked many people. … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, General Politics, Public Administration, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

Nothing to hide

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Tricia

(First published in theSun on 11 June 2015, here). IN our A-Level English literature classes, we used to describe Shakespearean comedy as “someone else’s tragedy”. Such is the case of the most recent public relations disaster to have befallen our … Continue reading →

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

Remembering the Tunku

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Tricia

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

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Tricia

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

Where values begin

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Tricia

(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

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Tricia

(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

A freedom conversation

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Tricia

(First published in theSun on 28 November 2014, here). MEETING people for the first time, I am often asked what a think-tank is. This is followed by a question on how it is that a classical liberal think-tank can exist in … Continue reading →

Posted in General Politics, Human Rights, Liberalism, Philosophy | Leave a comment

Making voluntarism legal

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 5 September 2014. I SPENT the Merdeka weekend writing a paper on the choppy relationship between the Barisan Nasional-led federal and Pakatan Rakyat-led state governments. I traced the brief history since 2008 of the many … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Crime, Federalism, General Politics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Shedding light on public procurement

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 21 August 2014. ONE of the many criticisms against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that Malaysia is negotiating to sign alongside 11 other countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region is that procurement by government and state-owned … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Economics, General Politics, Public Administration | Leave a comment