opinions

By Ahmad Faiz Yazid The 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) outlines ambitious targets for 2026–2030: **4.5–5.5% annual GDP growth and a fiscal deficit under 3% by 2030**. It packages RM430 billion in five-year development expenditure (about RM86 billion per year) to drive these goals. Yet history reminds us that even large plans can stumble. RMK-13’s success […]

The rise of sleep divorce in Malaysia By Julius Goh Liang Chye It started like many clinic visits. A middle-aged man, visibly drained, walked in with his wife. They were polite, even affectionate — but beneath the surface, something was cracking. “I forced him to come,” the wife confessed. She looked tired, not just from

What the media industry tells us about ourselves By Syarfa Akila Matta Imagine standing in front of a mirror that not only reflects your image, but also echoes your voice to millions. That’s what the media has become today a mirror of society and a megaphone for voices, ideas, and, sometimes, manipulation. Once limited to

Numbers alone aren’t enough By Zarina Zakaria As the global economy pivots toward sustainability, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are no longer a footnote in business strategy — they are front and centre. Across financial institutions, conglomerates, and regulators, ESG now drives decision-making and reporting. At the heart of this transformation is the accounting

Why energy companies must reinvent or fade   By Ahmad Ibrahim The global energy business is at a crossroads. The old certainties that once kept oil and gas companies flush with profits are fast evaporating. Rising climate pressures, aggressive carbon targets, volatile oil prices, and the unstoppable march of renewable energy are rewriting the rules of

By Ts. Elman Mustafa El Bakri There’s a narrative going around that Gen Z entered the workforce at the worst possible time. A pandemic disrupted their education. A recession tightened job markets. And now, just as they’re trying to find their footing, artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of every industry. But what if we’ve

By Redza Zakaria After several days of airstrikes launched by Thailand against Cambodian military targets along their long-disputed border, tensions reached their worst point in recent weeks. The conflict, rooted in historical territorial disagreements, escalated rapidly and resulted in significant casualties and displacement. However, the situation took a positive turn as both Thailand and Cambodia

By Nahrizul Adib There are patriots you see on TV — flags waving, rifles carrying, speeches thundering, parades marching to the rhythm of history. And then there are others — quieter, less photogenic, sometimes not even sure if they count. I personally used to think patriotism had to be loud. That it had to come

By Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid The integrity of a nation’s border is fundamental to its sovereignty, security, and reputation. In Malaysia, however, recent revelations have highlighted troubling systemic vulnerabilities within immigration and border enforcement practices particularly through covert and corrupt mechanisms known as “passport terbang” and “counter-setting.” These practices not only compromise lawful migration processes