A Sweaty Life
A Sweaty Life Jaden Woo Kin Yee To all my fellow Malaysians, we are no strangers to the excruciating heat back home. Just within 5 minutes of walking outside under…
Sacred, Scared & Scarred
Sacred, scared & scarred Sailesh Krishnakumar I love bodies of water. They keep me calm and peaceful. There was a river. It snaked and slithered through valleys and mountains, cutting…
Unity Is About More Than Chopsticks (Part 2)
Without realisation, we experience daily doses of discrimination that catalyses the separation between our people, and it extends to a larger scale which also affects the country’s economy and politics. From economic inequality in Sabah and Sarawak to the unfair penalty to those who breach SOPs as compared to politicians, discrimination becomes more apparent when it comes to privilege, status and money.
Unity Is About More Than Chopsticks (Part 1)
Unity is an important aspect of a country’s harmony. However, for many years, Malaysians struggle to unite because we are expected to accept certain views and practices in order to be “Malaysian”. For example, the recent comment made by Dr. Mahathir about the Chinese community using chopsticks. This is only one of the many examples of the idea of assimilation being perpetuated against a particular community, hence, causing dissatisfactions.
Abortion in Malaysia: A State of Despair
Countries like the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have made abortion legal and accessible for women. The most recent amendment in Malaysia laws with regards to abortion was in 1971 and 1989 where abortion was made legal to save a woman’s life, mental and physical health. However, the law still remains unfair towards circumstances like rape survivors and many argue that the law is in need of review.
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: A Double-edged Sword
Try binge-watching romantic films and you’ll realise one thing most of the films have in common; the male lead will stumble upon a different, “not-like-other-girls” female lead who helps him realise another perspective in life and aids him in his character development. This trope is known as the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. As we go deeper into this seemingly positive trope, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl has its cons and its dangerous effects towards film audiences, especially young women.
One Language To Divide Them All
The lyrics from a well-known patriotic song, Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa, imposes the idea that Malaysia’s national language, Bahasa Melayu is the key for unity. However, instead of becoming a unifying force, the reality of adopting a single language as the official language of a multiracial and multicultural country is that it becomes another obstacle to unity.
TOPSHOT - Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak waves as he leaves the Duta Court complex after he was found guilty in his corruption trial in Kuala Lumpur on July 28, 2020. - Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak was sentenced on July 28 to 12 years in jail on corruption charges linked to the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal that led to the downfall of his government two years ago. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP)
Najib Is Guilty, But He Might Be Prime Minister Once Again
After years of legal battles, Najib Razak was finally found guilty on all seven charges in his corruption trial by the Court of Appeal. However is this really the end? As Najib seeks to appeal to the Federal Court, this might buy more time for him to roam freely and continue his political agendas and more shockingly, become Prime Minister once again.