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Monthly Archives: May 2015
Lèse-majesté Singapore Style? – the ultimate betrayal of the Singapore Constitution
Tan Wah Piow 27 May 2015
Lawrence Wong, the Singapore Minister for Culture, Community and Youth reminds me of a second-hand car salesman when I read about his recent remarks as to why the government is considering legislation to protect the name and images of Lee Kuan Yew. Ostensibly this proposed initiative is to prevent the “commercial exploitation” of Lee Kuan Yew’s name and images. Various media quoted Lawrence Wong as citing an example, the Singapore bakery which marketed a new line of Lee bu kai ni 李不开你 buns to coincide with the Lee Kuan Yew’s mourning period. The李 (Lee) as in Lee Kuan Yew, rhymes with 离 meaning leave. Hence Lee Bu Kai Ni means Can’t bear to Leave you. Touching stuff indeed. But somehow it did not go down well with the public. When citing the “bun” incident, it is unclear whether Lawrence Wong’s objection was because the buns from the BreadTalk bakery were not tasty enough, and “feel stale 90% of the time”, according to a complaint lodged by a Jumi Tan in the Straits Times facebook 24.3.2015. Or was it simply just too expensive at $2 a piece, as complained by another netizen Joseph Hiew to the Straits Times. Is this now the new politics of the post-Lky era – bun watching? Is it the Government’s duty to shoot down anything unbefitting to the memory of Lky because the dead man could no longer wield his libel law club to whack his critics? Or is
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Noor Farida of G25 rocks the LSE
By Farouk A. Peru, Malaysian Insider 20 May 2015
Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin (right) and I at the London School of Economics. – Pic courtesy of Farouk Peru, May 20, 2015.I am not a big fan of the long trek to London School of Economics (fondly referred to as the LSE).
During rush hour, the London underground is usually packed to the hilt with commuters going to and from the city. It has become such an unpleasant experience for me that I prefer to wait till late just so I can have a more comfortable commute.
Posted in Malaysia
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Risk of religious sensitivity getting blown out of proportion
By Ghui , The Online Citizen
Religion, multi-culturalism and race are oft-cited reasons for retaining the draconian Internal Securities Act in Singapore. It is also the frequent explanation given for criminal charges against troublesome individuals and various defamation suits levied against pesky opposition politicians.
Ho Juan Thai and Tang Liang Hong were invariably slapped with terms like “Chinese chauvinist”, “anti-Christian” or “anti-Muslim. Indeed, race and religion are such delicate issues that they are probably easy fodder for manipulation.
Posted in Malaysia
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Fighting to keep Utusan independent
By Mariam Mokhtar Malaysiakini 18 May 2015
Said Zahari led the Malays to defend the integrity of Utusan Melayu and stop it from becoming the propaganda arm of Umno. This is highly significant because it was Malays who fiercely resisted a take-over by politicians during a 100-day strike at Utusan Melayu in Malaysia and Singapore in 1961.
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Noor Farida Ariffin, a catalyst for change
The feisty member of G25 gives a talk on religious extremism to a packed audience in London.
By Mariam Mokhtar Free Malaysia Today
With her razor sharp mind and equally sharp tongue that can slice through any argument, Noor Farida Ariffin is every inch a fighter. So don’t let her string of pearls, pale eye-shadow, pastel coloured jacket and welcoming smile fool you.
The effervescent Danny Quah, Professor of Economics and International Studies and Director of the Saw Swee Hock South East Asian Centre of the London School of Economics (LSE), helped facilitate Farida’s talk on “Fighting Religious Extremism in Malaysia” in London recently. Despite the exam period, when many students were not available, the event was packed with Malaysians and other nationals. There was standing room only at the back, and late comers were relegated to an adjoining room.
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Malaysia: Fighting Religious Extremism
Her Excellency Dato’ Noor Farida Ariffin
The former Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands
Organized by
South East Asia Centre – LSE
&
Monsoons Book Club
Chair: Prof Danny Quah
venue: TOWER 2, Room 9.05 Clements Inn WC2A 2AZ
London School of Economics (LSE) Nearest station Holborn.
date: Wednesday 13th May 2015, 6.45 – 8.30 pm
Her Excellency Dato’ Noor Farida Ariffin was the former Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands. She is a retired International Law expert, and served as Special Legal Adviser on Maritime Issues to the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs.