Archive - 12 February 2005

Malaysian parents are a curious breed indeed. They produce children who never asked to be produced in the first place, and then demand as their right that their children grow up to be exactly what they wish them to be.

The idea of Malayness, Chineseness and Indianness, or the idea of ethnic identity of any of the 70 other communities in Malaysia, is itself subject to some kind of historical metamorphosis and evolution. The call for the emergence of a Malaysian race is itself a symptom of this restlessness.

When the rich get richer they have more resources to stay ahead and the reverse happens to the poor. It has nothing to do with roti canai, as one expert suggested.

I thank God for the ceasefire because the protracted Middle East conflict and killings have led Palestinians to suffer for a long time, says premier Abdullah.

Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said both governments were undertaking 'scoping' studies on a trade deal and that formal negotiations were imminent.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says the labour issue would top the agenda of his meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his visit to Malaysia on Monday.

Deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak, after a meeting with German foreign minister, said that while Malaysia did not want to interfere in the internal affairs of Indonesia, it hoped for a peaceful settlement in Aceh.