Agora

We are living through tough times. Rising prices, stagnant wages, soaring crime rates and unlivable conditions are making the life of the average Malaysian harder. Yet, the powers that be still remain irresponsive to the needs of the people by making poor policy choices. The Malaysian social contract has been a subject of controversy, particularly because any debate or discussion about it touches on the special rights and privileges of the Bumiputera. Any talk about it has to do with how non-Malays are given citizenship rights in return for special privileges for Malays and indigenous peoples. Does it always have to be this way? Why can’t we redefine or reframe our discussion about the social contract? First we have to understand what a social contract means. Many of us are unaware that we have voluntarily given up certain rights to our leaders when we become citizens of Malaysia. When we are born into this society, we automatically surrender some of our rights and freedoms in...

Today I depart for Kuching. I don't have many expectations for the trip, but it is my first time going to East Malaysia and living, for an an extended period of time, in an Orang Asal village. I'll be part of an expedition called 'Impian Sarawak'. Frankly speaking, it is a politically sponsored volunteer program to visit a village and assist in the building of a gravity feed water system while having an opportunity to live amongst the villagers there. I hope to observe and learn about how they live and carry out their respective responsibilities. At the same time, this is a momentous occasion for Malaysian history, insofar as 'change' is concerned. I hope that as ambassadors of a growing movement for change and as fellow Malaysians who are committed to bring about systemic change, we can bring that care and genuine support to the villagers. As we identify with their problems and plight, I hope that I can personally find a common ground on which I can fight along...

If there are two irrefutable truths about why I chose to come back to my home country, the first would be the common identity which I share with my fellow Malaysians; the second would be the passion which flows through my veins. What is the passion which I speak of? This passion takes many shapes and forms, but it is constantly the fuel for my motivates and the spark that I rely on to accomplish everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. Mainly, this passion is one that equates personal identity with a purpose larger than myself. This passion is the desire to equate personal goals with the common struggle; that the personal is political - that life is politics and politics is life. I have identified a few passions which have motivated me to not only apply my political education in my work tasks, but to also assert myself in other areas of Malaysian life: the social, religious and recreational. In this post I'll focus mainly on my passion for being involved in grassroots poli...

We often hear of people moving to foreign lands to pursue better opportunities, to live more comfortably and to build happier families. Other countries present us with financial security, job prospects, friendlier people and desirable living standards. When I was 14, I embarked on a journey which I regard as the pivotal point of my life. It was a journey undertaken with faith and a hope that the pursuit of happiness will be easier over there, where the grass is greener and the skies blue. It was a journey to come home. As I write this, my journey has brought me home to the country where I was born and it is a place which I can truly call home. My identity is Malaysian, and 9 years in North America has taught me that nothing will ever come close to compromise that reality. I chose to come back because of a confluence of factors, but for this post I'll focus on identity. I'm often asked about why I chose to return to a country in which hope has been dashed by poor governanc...

Have you ever experienced leaving a place for many years and, upon your return, feel that you've never left? Unfortunately, it feels that I've been gone a long time from my home country, Malaysia. I feel some form of friction at the workplace, with the language, culture, sensibilities and norms. This is expected and what I perceive to be a natural process of re-acculturation and re-assimilation - re-settling myself into this place I call home . However, the stakes are a lot higher for me and I've got a set of goals for myself. I'll try to highlight one aspect per entry, so this post will be about the process of 're-learning' and 're-education' here in Malaysia. Having worked at a law firm for two months and now in a political party as a researcher, I've got some serious catching up to do in terms of catching up to speed with the pulse and current affairs of this nation. As I devour books, articles and writings that shed light on the many events t...

Sitting here in a deserted section of the study lounge, I'm feeling the urge to write about an interaction progressing and unfolding in front of me right now. At the risk of being offensive or politically incorrect (ala Alexandra Wallace from UCLA), I'm just going to say it here that this post is about someone whose culture I'm still trying to grasp and understand. Allow me to explain. I write to achieve an end, it's sort of unspoken, but when I write I'm usually trying to understand something better or to arrive at some sort of epiphany (there's my A. Wallace again). Anyway, here goes. A young Chinese girl, maybe 19, is seated about 5 feet away in front of me, long hair with blonde highlights (I think), sporting rimmed spectacles, clothed in a Star-patterned pink knit-sweater, blue jeans and fur Winter boots. That's her physical profile, but I'm honestly more interested in the activity she's engaging in. In between mouthfuls of Mcnuggets, she is h...

I've found it difficult to blog or write these days. This is partly due to a lack of inspiration, but it is mainly because I have come to realize that most of my thoughts are not developed fully enough for a coherent composition. If I'm to attempt a blog post, my ideas will come out as a string of disjointed sentences, not doing justice to the various shapes and textures of the issues which I'm grappling with currently. However, I've motivated myself to try and get some thoughts on paper, on this brand new canvas which is the New Year. New Place Settling into my new place was not without its difficulties. Fortunately, I had many friends who were kind enough to lend a helping hand, and I received a tremendous amount of support from them: labour, morale, Christmas gifts, cards, house-warming presents, sleeping bag (for the week without an actual bed or mattress) and so on. My landlord, Pin, is also a very accommodating individual who is efficient and tolerant, much of...