Category Archives: Public Administration

Towards a New Malaysia

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Tricia

Towards a New Malaysia First published in Selangor Times on Friday, 15th March 2013 THE term “think tank” may evoke images of stuffy bespectacled researchers sitting behind desks towering with stacks of paper. And whilst it is true that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Public Administration | 1 Comment

Curing the healthcare system

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Tricia

Curing the healthcare system (From Penang Monthly, February 2013) Photograph: epSos.de/Flickr Previous articles in this column have elaborated at length on the highly centralised system of government in Malaysia where, despite being a federation, the “federated states” of the country … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Healthcare, Public Administration | Leave a comment

A Neutral Public Service

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Tricia

A Neutral Public Service  (From theSun, 11th January 2013) As a public policy researcher, filmmaking was the last thing I thought I would venture into. But having received a grant and opportunity from a local NGO, Pusat KOMAS, last year … Continue reading →

Posted in General Politics, Human Rights, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Governing from the Bottom Up

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Tricia

Governing from the Bottom Up (From theSun, 14th December 2012) The recent public war of words between former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and his ex-colleague Datuk Ramli Yusoff over criminal links, abuse of power and political connections … Continue reading →

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The Economy and Political Interference

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Tricia

The Economy and Political Interference (A version of this was published in theSun, on 16th November 2012) In the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2013, Malaysia’s rank improved by two spots, now placed as the 12th most competitive economy in … Continue reading →

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

Change of mayor too high-handed to ignore

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Tricia

Change of mayor too high-handed to ignore MBPJ Building Photograph: INCOLNOSE2® With a string of surprising transfers being made in the MBPJ, including the mayor, many questions are being raised about the structure of command at that level. For the … Continue reading →

Posted in General Politics, Public Administration, Selangor | Leave a comment

Models for state and city

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Tricia

Models for State and City (This first appeared in Selangor Times, published on 12th October 2012). As part of the Penang launch of my book, ‘States of Reform’, as well as the FreedomFilmFest screenings of my documentary, ‘The Rights of … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Administration, Selangor | Leave a comment

A Budget’s Responsibility

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Tricia

A Budget’s Responsibility (A version of this was first published in theSun on 5th October 2012) Over the past two weeks, several documents were unveiled for public scrutiny. Prime Minister Najib Razak tabled the 2013 Budget for debate in Parliament … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

GLCs Crowding Out Investment

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Tricia

GLCs Crowding Out Investment (A version of this was first published in theSun on 21st September 2012). Deep structural changes are urgently needed to improve the country’s competitiveness, chief of which is dealing with government-linked companies (GLCs) that are presently … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Power of the arts

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Tricia

Power of the arts Photograph: Gabija Grusaite The arts are powerful tools of expression. The impact of a film or a song can be so significant that governments find it hard to stay away. Finding a balance between encouraging the … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Culture, Literature, Public Administration | Leave a comment