opinions

By Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim I recently attended a roundtable discussion hosted by the PTD Alumni of Malaysia on the contentious issue of civil service reform. The consensus among the esteemed panelists was clear: the machinery of our government is not in the best of shape. Bureaucratic inertia, siloed ministries working at cross-purposes, and

By Ng Kwan Hoong “I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you, And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” When Louis Armstrong first sang ‘What a Wonderful World’ in 1967, the world was chaotic. The United States was in turmoil: the Vietnam War raged on,

By Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim For decades, the story of Malaysia’s economic development has been written in oil and gas. Petronas, the national oil company, has been more than an enterprise; it has been a sovereign wealth fund, a nation-builder, and a symbol of national pride. Its dividends have paved our roads, built our

Malaysia’s child safety crisis and the forgotten first school By Khalidah Adibah Sahar and Maisarah Hasbullahw Malaysia is grappling with a disturbing rise in crimes involving children—bullying, sexual assault, and even murder—within schools and communities once considered safe. Recent cases, such as the gang rape of a teenage girl in Melaka and the fatal stabbing

By Rozita Che Omar The vibrant rhythms and expressive movements of Spain took centre stage at Universiti Malaya during a captivating Flamenco Workshop organised by the Spanish Programme, Department of Asian and European Languages. The event featured a special session conducted by the talented bailadora (flamenco dancer) Davinia Begines, whose graceful performance and interactive teaching

By Nahrizul Adib Kadri The thought came to me while jogging last weekend, somewhere between the second and third kilometre, when the body starts to tire but the mind begins to wander. Out of nowhere, a sentence surfaced: Don’t stop being useful. Otherwise, you’re useless. It was not meant as an insult. More like a

By Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim In an increasingly fragmented world, the profound commonalities between nations offer a refreshing narrative. Among the most compelling stories of shared destiny is the relationship between Brazil and Malaysia—two nations separated by vast oceans but united by striking parallels. Though one lies in South America and the other in

By Shazlin Niza Ab Razak Every semester, I meet a new group of students whose expressions change the moment I mention MUET. Shoulders stiffen, eyes widen, and the room grows heavy with unease. The Malaysian University English Test, designed to gauge language proficiency, has become a source of quiet dread for many pre-university students. As

By Dr. Cheah Chan Fatt   Malaysia is steadily positioning itself as a regional leader in sustainable logistics, with the development of the Southeast Asia Integrated Logistics Hub (SAILH) by Global Vision Logistics Sdn Bhd (GVL) serving as a prime example. Strategically located on 71 acres of prime industrial land in Shah Alam, SAILH is designed