Ramon Navaratnam

As a former senior civil servant I am perplexed and politely ask - what has become of our national management of foreign workers and the consultation by and coordination in government, please? We obviously need to consult the public more to have less blundering.

The preliminary International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Report on the Malaysian economy was published by the press on Feb 5.

The Budget 2016 recalibrations or revisions announced by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak today were welcome but quite ordinary.

The re-calibrated or revised Budget 2016 that the prime minister will present on Thursday Jan 28 has to be more pragmatic and realistic.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak rightly urged “more Chinese and bumiputras to form business enterprises to take advantage of new opportunities, at the opening of the impressive Wisma Hua Zong, on Jan 16.

We are facing a new socio-economic dilemma, but the question is - how do we respond to it effectively?

This year 2015 was an unhappy year for the nation and therefore for most of us. Too many issues went sour and remain heavy burdens to bear. We may therefore say farewell to 2015 with considerable relief that we have survived the stormy weather.

The Election Commission (EC) should serve us Malaysians - the rakyat, the voters and our country, much better and be more dutiful in discharging its onerous duties.

The Umno president YAB Najib Abdul Razak’s speech at the opening of the Umno general assembly on Dec 11 was most interesting, assertive and determined.

Sarawak Chief Minister YAB Adenan Satem is ahead of us in making English a second language.

It’s a crying shame that we still continue to experience bad flash floods and slope slides all over the country, even as we seek developed country status by 2020.

COMMENT | Malaysia has struck a good deal in TPPA under challenging circumstances.

The government planners, especially in the Treasury, have no doubt had serious problems planning for the Budget 2016 that is to be presented to Parliament this Friday.

After marathon sessions into late nights and early mornings since Sept 26 this year, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) deal has finally been struck.

Although the Special Economic Committee (SEC) is new, many Malaysians expected a special package of policy measures to give more substantive backing to its mandate which is - ‘strengthen the fundamentals of the economy’.

Our leaders keep saying that our fundamentals are strong. This is comforting and consoling.

Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof has finally urged legislation requiring all political parties to declare their sources of political funding.

Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof has finally urged legislation requiring all political parties to declare their sources of political funding.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s speech at the monthly gathering of the Prime Minister’s Office and Hari Raya Open House on Aug 3 was very welcome for at least two good reasons.

I refer to the thoughtful letter written by my former colleague Sheriff Kassim recent letter in The Star (July 7) and also in the NST (July 8) on ‘Moderation?’ Sheriff rightly concludes that “the growth of the economy and the happiness of the people depend on the country taking the moderate path, in line with the principles enshrined in the constitution and our obligations as a member of the international community”.

The Fitch rating that upgraded our ‘outlook on the long-term issuer default rating’ to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’ previously is a relief indeed and quite gratifying.

President Barack Obama has signed laws to ‘fast-track the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)’. Now we also better fast-track our preparations to join the TPPA, too!

COMMENT I believe the truth is to be found somewhere between the two.