James Chai

COMMENT | Ismail Sabri - the ultimate compromiser

COMMENT | Ismail Sabri - the ultimate compromiser

By offering reforms, Ismail guarantees his govt's medium-term stability.

COMMENT | The return of former prime ministers

COMMENT | The return of former prime ministers

Their quiet movements are telling.
COMMENT | A country with 2 PMs and 4 DPMs

COMMENT | A country with 2 PMs and 4 DPMs

With Muhyiddin appointed to a high position again, nothing has changed.

COMMENT | How Ismail Sabri's premiership may play out

COMMENT | How Ismail Sabri's premiership may play out

He just might be the shortest-serving PM in history.
COMMENT | How Azalina understands power

COMMENT | How Azalina understands power

Her resignation forces us to reassess the meaning of power.
COMMENT | 500 days of Abah politics

COMMENT | 500 days of Abah politics

What kind of ‘Abah’ would let his children die?
COMMENT | Pay durians and you’ll still get monkeys

COMMENT | Pay durians and you’ll still get monkeys

Will money guarantee an MP's loyalty?

COMMENT | Our youths gave us an Olympic medal, we gave them the worst Malaysia

COMMENT | Our youths gave us an Olympic medal, we gave them the worst Malaysia

Today in our homeland, the young are giving us courage and life… but what are we giving them in return?

COMMENT | How PN unwittingly admitted to abuse of power

COMMENT | How PN unwittingly admitted to abuse of power

Takiyuddin ‘revoked’ the emergency ordinances in less than 30 seconds.
COMMENT | Muhyiddin's new clothes

COMMENT | Muhyiddin's new clothes

Like the emperor in a certain fairy tale, the prime minister seems to be deluding himself into thinking that all is well.

COMMENT | Let me take you on a grand tour of Istanbul

COMMENT | Let me take you on a grand tour of Istanbul

Here is your itinerary for the Full-Day Tour with Turkey Local Guides.
COMMENT | White flags: The most courageous act in this pandemic

COMMENT | White flags: The most courageous act in this pandemic

A white flag draws a line between who you were and who you want to be.
COMMENT | Inside ministers’ poor imagination of how the poor lives

COMMENT | Inside ministers’ poor imagination of how the poor lives

They are trivialising and cheapening the people’s real pain and suffering.
COMMENT | Mahathir's Mageran Dream: Why 2021 is not 1969

COMMENT | Mahathir's Mageran Dream: Why 2021 is not 1969

Mahathir’s desire for great power is well-documented. No one has surpassed his record of being prime minister twice and going for a third.

COMMENT | ‘I don’t know what happened except that he died’

COMMENT | ‘I don’t know what happened except that he died’

The unsettling pattern of death-in-custody cases.
COMMENT | How to deal with arrogant Covid-19 rule-breakers

COMMENT | How to deal with arrogant Covid-19 rule-breakers

Perhaps we should put them to work among Covid-19 positive patients at quarantine centres.

COMMENT | PM’s govt not stupid, just selfish, irresponsible and utterly mediocre

COMMENT | PM’s govt not stupid, just selfish, irresponsible and utterly mediocre

By being selfish, irresponsible, and utterly mediocre, we now have a political crisis, economic crisis, and public health crisis.
COMMENT | Rina Harun and the rise of celebrity politics

COMMENT | Rina Harun and the rise of celebrity politics

Politicians are bringing large cameras to record a tragic story, with the protagonist inevitably being the politician.

COMMENT | What Covid rule-breakers are trying to tell us

COMMENT | What Covid rule-breakers are trying to tell us

Three things. One is can we make sure we suffer together?
COMMENT | The surprising benefit of having the wrong govt

COMMENT | The surprising benefit of having the wrong govt

The Sheraton Move has an unintended consequence.
COMMENT | The collective delusion of Muhyiddin’s Bersatu

COMMENT | The collective delusion of Muhyiddin’s Bersatu

Once we put everything into context, a different picture appears.
COMMENT | DAP's Chinese debate is larger than its party

COMMENT | DAP's Chinese debate is larger than its party

The Ronnie Liu and Tony Pua-Hannah Yeoh debate represents a vision to locate the Chinese in a multiracial future we cannot resist.

COMMENT | The toxic birth of Malaysia’s B50

COMMENT | The toxic birth of Malaysia’s B50

How being poor can affect the brain.
COMMENT | In trying to appear strong, Zahid appeared weak

COMMENT | In trying to appear strong, Zahid appeared weak

'In trying to accommodate party insiders and outsiders, Zahid has become a pushover who follows wherever the wind blows.'