Locking the gate after the horse has bolted
Raja Petra KamarudinLast Friday, a cell-phone salesman was charged in court for having pornographic material in his notebook computer. The hapless man had downloaded the porn from the Internet. Let…
The times, they are a changing
Raja Petra KamarudinUmno's main challenge is to change the mindset of the Malays so that they are not left behind in a fast changing world its deputy president and Deputy Prime Minister, Dato' Sri…
A new meaning to the seven-year itch
Raja Petra KamarudinIt is already seven years since the Anwar Ibrahim political crisis erupted in 1998. Now, after seven long years, everything that Anwar said, then, seems to bother one-time…
Malaysians are bigots by nature
Raja Petra KamarudinIt appears there are two groups of people who read Malaysia Today: one group that would like Malaysia Today to practice what it claims to represent -- absolute freedom of…
A gross distortion of facts in the name of Islam
Raja Petra KamarudinOn Friday, 29 April 2005, HarakahDaily.net carried a news item on its website entitled 'Penduduk Segambut Dalam bantah penjualan tapak surau’. (The full text of the news item in…
How to build a six million dollar house
Raja Petra KamarudinIf there is one thing Sabah Chief Ministers feel is envy towards Sarawak Chief Ministers; the reason being, Sarawak Chief Ministers rule for life while Sabah Chief Ministers rule…
There is more to Mahathir’s 2002 US trip than meets the eye
Raja Petra KamarudinIn 2002, FAC News, the Free Anwar Campaign website, revealed that President Bush refused Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s many requests to meet him. At one point, Dr Mahathir even sulked and…
The war between “moderate” and “fundamentalist” Muslims
Raja Petra KamarudinLast week, the Malaysian authorities confiscated the book 'Hadharah Islamiyyah Bukan Islam Hadhari' written by the President of the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), Ustaz Haji…
Alice in Wonderland
Raja Petra KamarudinYesterday, Bernama, Malaysia’s official news agency, quoted Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah) as saying that the National Fatwa Council needs to issue a…
Pardon for Anwar
Raja Petra KamarudinOn Sunday, 1 May 2005, the KONVENSYEN PENGAMPUNAN ANWAR IBRAHIM will be held at the ballroom of the Grand Seasons Hotel along Jalan Pahang in Kuala Lumpur. The event, which is open…
Are we seeing a resurgence of Malay nationalism?
Raja Petra KamarudinOn 4 February 2001, Ibrahim Ali created waves when an informal movement he headed called Badan Bertindak Melayu organised a rally that it called ‘Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia’,…
Umno leaders get a taste of their own medicine
Raja Petra KamarudinMalaysian Prime Minister and Umno President, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), has rebuked Zaid Ibrahim, the Umno Kelantan head, for attacking the party's disciplinary board.On…
Who are you to tell me what to believe?
Raja Petra KamarudinOne Umno Terengganu State Assemblyman proposed in the Terengganu State Assembly today that stern action be taken against all those who reject and criticise Malaysian Prime Minister…
Many happy returns of the day keADILan
Raja Petra KamarudinToday is Monday, 11 April 2005. And what, you may ask, is so significant about today's date? Well, nothing really significant, actually, unless you regard my detention under the…
Malaysia Today’s blogs are closed
Malaysia Today has unfortunately been forced to close the blogs in the various columns and some other sections due to blatant abuse of privileges by certain bloggers. We sincerely regret that we have…
In search of common ground
Raja Petra KamarudinSome of you, or maybe all of you, may have noticed that Malaysia Today delights in focusing on two main issues. These two issues, which can be regarded as the two most sensitive…
The NEP in the Islamic perspective
Raja Petra KamarudinWhen the government embarked on the move to introduce a common language for all, in this case our own National Language (in the beginning called Bahasa Kebangsaan), it was done…
Conflict or convergence: which will it be?
Raja Petra KamarudinIn 1998, Anwar Ibrahim launched the Reformasi Movement. Soon after that he was unceremoniously thrown into jail on what many believe were trumped-up charges of corruption and…
The Republic of Malaysia
Raja Petra KamarudinMany bloggers in Malaysia Today seem extremely perturbed by Malaysia’s rulers and would like them removed and Malaysia turned into a republic. What kind of republic do you think…
Writing in blissful ignorance
Raja Petra KamarudinIf Prince Charles was Malay, he would have absolutely no problems with having more than one woman in his life. After all, his religion would allow him to have up to four wives, and…
The problem with Islam
Dr. JentayuThe last few weeks has seen Islam in Malaysia under siege. Beginning with the JAWI raid on Muslim patrons of a disco, the subsequent events has blown up a call by a group of NGOs for the…
Opportunity knocks but once
Raja Petra KamarudinIt is easy to be an ‘expert’ on hindsight. Speaking with foresight is more difficult.Anyone can be an expert when talking about the 1999 general elections, or the 2004 general…
The need for a marriage counsellor
Raja Petra KamarudinWhat Malaysians do not seem to grasp is that, before any disease can be cured, the disease must first be identified. If the doctor does not know what is wrong with you, how can he…
The three monkeys syndrome
Raja Petra KamarudinOne-time Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was one for launching concepts and slogans. Amongst one of his earlier campaigns was ‘Leadership by Example’. Basically, Dr…
Quotable Quotes
Raja Petra KamarudinQuestion : If you could live forever, would you and why?Answer : I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we…
Race-based politics, the barrier to racial integration
Raja Petra KamarudinMalaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Government cannot create a separate branch or stream in the national education system that serves as a 100 per…
MELAYU
Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana,Nakalnya bersulam jenaka,Budi bahasanya tidak terkira,Kurang ajarnya tetap bersantun,Bila mengampu bijak beralas tangan.Melayu itu berani jika bersalah,Kecut takut…
Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku!
Raja Petra KamarudinMalaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, fondly and respectfully referred to as Pak Lah or ‘Father’ Lah, said that the plan to turn the Bukit Cahaya Agriculture Park in Shah…
The long and winding road
Peering into the heart of a born-again MuslimRaja Petra Kamarudin The long and winding road. That leads to your door. Will never disappear. I've seen that road before. It always leads me here.…
Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone
Raja Petra KamarudinI remember my Tok Guru (religious teacher) once telling me: why quarrel and fight over matters of sunat (optional) when matters of wajib (compulsory) are not yet resolved? For…