ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN Perhaps nothing better captures our negative exceptionalism than the brazenly totalistic capture of our elected offices by a few families. Even at the height of political reform under the Benigno Aquino III administration, more than 80 percent of legislative seats were occupied by political dynasties. Across the nation, as few as 178 political dynasties dominated 73 out of a total of 81 ..

Since I entered the profession in the late 1980s, the issue of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) recognition has taken up a significant portion of my reporting career. It was like an inescapable ghost, haunting Malaysias political and educational landscape. Every general election, by-election, or major political transition, this topic is pulled down from its dusty shelf to be reheated and served again. This "leftover dish" has been fried for decades; even if it hasnt gone rotten, it has ..

ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN Perhaps nothing better captures our negative exceptionalism than the brazenly totalistic capture of our elected offices by a few families. Even at the height of political reform under the Benigno Aquino III administration, more than 80 percent of legislative seats were occupied by political dynasties. Across the nation, as few as 178 political dynasties dominated 73 out of a total of 81 ..

UN at a crossroads: Time for a woman, or Muslim, secretary-general As the United Nations prepares to select its tenth secretary-general, global attention is focused not only on which candidate will succeed Antnio Guterres in January 2027, but on what the choice will signal about the institutions relevance, priorities, and ability to respond to mounting global crises. On November 25, 2025, the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council jointly invited all 193 member states to ..

It also pointed out that public hospitals continue to shoulder most of the national caseload, handling between 64-94 percent of major healthcare services, which is perfectly understandable given that so many Malaysians cant afford the insane private healthcare costs. At the same time, public hospitals struggle with insufficient beds, long waiting times, overcrowding, and worsening working conditions whereby healthcare workers are overworked. All this poses a threat to Malaysias commitment to ..

MCA Youth information chief Neow Choo Seng has made a call which I would describe as reasonable and logical. OK, Ill throw in right as well. But not fully. Hence, I see his suggestion as quite reasonable, quite logical and quite right. On December 14, Neow was quoted by Malaysiakini calling upon the Chinese community to master Bahasa Malaysia as a necessity to safeguard their interests. Whats the logic here? Only with proficiently in Bahasa Malaysia can we participate effectively in national ..

Anwar unable to pacify the Chinese, DAP must not remain silent The Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) issue had been "quiet" for a long time, but after the Rocket suffered a crushing defeat in the Sabah state elections, it was suddenly awakened. It is clear that the Rocket (DAP) panicked because they were wiped out in Sabah, and they hastily assumed that by "solving" the UEC issue, they could regain the confidence of the Chinese community. In a state of panic, people easily trapped in a ..

Why is the Takaichi Administrations approval rating so high? Since taking office in October 2025, the Sanae Takaichi Cabinet has maintained a high approval rating, hovering around 70 percent. For instance, an _Asahi Shimbun_ newspaper opinion poll revealed an approval rating of 68 percent in October and 69 percent in November, immediately following the inauguration. Other polls have shown an approval rating of 75 percent. This level of approval is comparable to that of the Junichiro Koizumi and ..

Fuziah Salleh, humility is also about owning up to mistakes I have a message for Parti Keadilan Rakyat secretary-general Fuziah Salleh. Its a simple one - humility also means having the courage to own up to our mistakes. Owning up would not diminish a leader; instead, it would restore trust. This is a message Fuziah must take to heart. On Sabahs election night, her hasty announcement at the press conference - claiming that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah( GRS ) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) had the numbers to ..

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahims cabinet reshuffle can be described as a desperate attempt to patch holes using existing "government stock." There is a distinct lack of fresh "products" on the shelves. This new cabinet lacks a fresh atmosphere; it seeks stability over breakthrough. The list is largely mediocre. However, some people unexpectedly remained, while others were ousted; some successfully crossed over, while others failed to pull off an upset. **The most unexpected - Minister of Education, ..

Recognition of UEC faces resistance from both Malay and Chinese societies Malay newspapers reported last Friday that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had disagreed with the DAP's request and he refused to recognize the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The following day, Anwar clarified that his remarks had been taken out of context by the media. This suggests the prime minister is willing to seek a solution to break the UEC deadlock. DAP Secretary-General Loke Siew Fook also stated ..

Hun Sen cannot afford to lose the war against Thailand Hun Sen cannot afford to lose the war against Thailandnot militarily, but politically. This is the uncomfortable truth that explains why the ThailandCambodia border conflict keeps relapsing into violence despite repeated ceasefires, ASEAN facilitation, and international calls for restraint. For Hun Sen, the conflict is no longer about territory alone. It is about regime survival, elite cohesion, and the preservation of an inherited ..

Investment in artificial intelligence will continue its meteoric rise in 2025, powered by a narrative that AI is not just a tool but a new workforce. As Jensen Huang of NVIDIA recently put it, the software industry of the past was about creating tools like Excel, Word and web browsers, tools only so large because humans had to operate them. By contrast, AI is not a tool. AI is, in fact, workers that can actually use tools. Imagine AI systems as digital colleagues who write code in VS Code, plan ..

A fire, a test, a display of governance: Hong Kongs response under one country, two systems Since the blaze erupted at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the incident has weighed heavily on Hong Kongs collective consciousness. The central government has attached great importance to it, with relevant authorities and local governments acting promptly upon instructions, delivering care and supplies with precision. The Hong Kong Special Administration Region government responded swiftly and devoted its full ..

Malaysias greatest challenge: Waste management system still in Stone Age Malaysias waste system is stuck in the Stone Age while the rest of the country sprints into a digital future, and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, KPKT) together with 155 local authorities have nowhere to hide from that fact. Streets from Klang to Port Klang are a living, stinking indictment of how contracts, councils and concessionaires have failed to deliver the ..

UEC An internationalisation path for Chinese education Chinese education in Malaysia is not only a treasure of the Chinese community but also an important national asset. It has long safeguarded the competitiveness of the Chinese community, which in turn is an essential part of the countrys overall competitiveness. Therefore, the success of Chinese education can also be seen as a success of Malaysias national education system. This system is privately run, primarily supported by the Chinese ..

Is DAP really unable to hold on? Can MCA ride the anti-government sentiment? While having dinner with an ambassador recently, he raised a rather interesting question: with the ringgit strengthening, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahims impressive performance at the ASEAN Summit and increasing foreign investment flowing into Malaysia, why are people still full of complaints? I smiled and replied: the reason people dont feel good is that such so-called positive perceptions do not produce ..

A new era has dawned for Sabah with the defeat of Peninsula parties The recently concluded Sabah state election has driven home the point that Sabahans want to be rulers of their own state. Decades of disappointment and exploitation have awakened and inspired voters to rely more on their own political power and resources. For some time now, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) has been widely discussed and debated by both the government and the Opposition. This renewed focus has sparked an ..

Anwar, do you really not understand or are you pretending not to? Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was worried about the current trend of glorifying and praising bribe-givers, adding that such a trend benefits neither the state nor the nation. He then repeated once again how hard the government has been working to combat corruption the same old tune we need not state anymore. Anwar did not specify which bribe-giver was being glorified, but everyone knows he was referring to ..

When politicians start giving themselves deadlines, it usually means that the public has already given them one, and in Malaysia, that deadline arrived on November 29, 2025. This was the night DAP was wiped out in Sabah. The voters didnt ask for a six-month timeline. They were more brutal. They delivered their verdict instantly. So, when Loke says the government must show hope within six months, hes not telling voters something new. The rakyat has been waiting two years to see that hope ..

Time, TikTok and Tokenism: The combustion of an impatient Malaysian electorate Malaysians today are living on a political clock that ticks louder every year. Over the last quarter-century, the electorate has grown impatientsome would say combustible. This is not merely a product of political fatigue but a deeper transformation shaped by structural change, technological acceleration, and a generation raised on the immediacy of digital gratification. The roots of this impatience stretch back to ..

MICs indecision could backfire on its future electoral prospects MICs continued indecision projects a negative image to the Indian community and to Malaysians in general. Party members have deferred the decision on exiting Barisan Nasional (BN) to the Central Working Committee and senior leadership. The last-minute turnaround surprised many who expected the meeting to give the green light to break away from BN. The reasons cited for not doing so were flimsy and strongly suggest that the party ..

In this article, I wish to send a message to candidates who offer themselves for public office but did not manage to get the support of the electorate. The 17th Sabah Election has just concluded, so I suppose this is timely. My message is equally relevant to those who have held public office for far too long and struggle to let go, even when urged by their party seniors. There will always be individuals who simply refuse to step aside, clinging to positions as though their identity depends on ..

DAP Secretary-General Loke Siew Fook's message is too little and too late. The Democratic Action Partys collapse in Sabah was not a fluke. A cold, unmistakable judgment delivered by voters who once believed the party stood for something braver, cleaner, and sharper than the ordinary machinery of Malaysian politics. DAP cannot survive another year of this drift, and neither can Malaysia because when a party loses all eight of its contests, including six once won with overwhelming majorities, we ..

All I want for International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia There have been a number of songs on the theme All I want for Christmas . The one that has stuck in my memory is a child singing All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. As I reflect on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated on 3rd December 2025, I ask myself: "What does the disability community, their care partners and civil society want from the government and society?" Remember that ..

Taiwans pro-Japan tilt and the shifting balance of power in Indo-China deepens Taiwans admiration for Japan has always existed beneath the surface, but in recent years it has surged to unprecedented highs. A nationwide survey conducted in late 2024 found that 76 per cent of Taiwanese now describe Japan as their favourite country. Another poll recorded that 70 per cent believe Taiwan should align most closely with Japan, ahead of the United States and far ahead of China. Even earlier surveys ..

Chinese votes come and go A wake-up call for DAP or a death knell? Pakatan Harapan was the biggest loser in the Sabah election, but the one that suffered humiliating defeat was the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which suffered a complete wipeoutlosing all eight seats it contested and almost vanishing from Sabah. This is DAPs most painful lesson: Chinese votes can come, and they can also go. When a tropical whirlwind hits, what seemed like deep-rooted safe seats can be uprooted entirely. Chinese ..

Overloaded lorries endanger the safety of road users, which is certainly true. If overloaded lorries are not strictly regulated, it will lead to accelerated road wear and increased maintenance costs again, an undeniable fact. Transport Minister Anthony Lokes insistence on strict enforcement, stating that human life is more important than making money, is also a fact. However, this wave of enforcement has caused disruptions in the logistics supply chain, skyrocketing transportation costs, and ..

Is PAS to be blamed for Langkawis fall from grace? A friend from Sarawak had just returned from a family holiday in Langkawi. When I asked how the trip went, his response was tinged with disappointment. For a place once celebrated as the Jewel of Kedah, Langkawi seems to have lost much of its former shine. This is very sad indeed. I used to visit Langkawi at regular intervals in years gone by. I like Langkawi actually and each visit was pleasant and enjoyable as the island has a fair bit to ..

The existence of Prince Group should make the Philippines even more wary Yet, what should truly alarm Manila is the pattern: when corruption becomes transnational, its political effects eventually return home. This is why the Prince Group affair is not merely someone elses scandal. It is an early warning indicator of how illicit networks can entrench themselves in jurisdictions that appear respectable, then influence political actors across borders. The central question now is whether Manila ..

Voters should punish politicians who overstay their welcome At the outset, I wish to make a clear and unequivocal disclaimer. Neither I nor this publication harbor any intention to discredit or cast aspersions on any individual associated with the 38 years as an assemblyman narrative. The reference is used solely as a case study to illustrate and support the points discussed in this article. Any mention is strictly for analytical purposes and should not be interpreted as a personal critique. A ..

From hip-hop song to satirical cartoons, China-Japan row ratchets up online Set to a catchy hip-hop beat and featuring taunting animation, a Chinese music video on social media is calling Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a troublemaker and warning her against playing with fire by interfering in the affairs of China and Taiwan. The use of such content that disparages the Japanese leader is part of Chinas arsenal of tools to pressure Tokyo and to influence public opinion both at home and ..

As COP30 convenes in Belm, in the heart of the Amazon, the worlds focus is narrowly set on carbon emissions and net-zero pledges. Yet, this tunnel vision blinds us to the elephant in the room: Ecosystem destruction is not a carbon problem aloneit is the systemic sabotage of the planets most powerful climate control mechanism. Since 2023, extreme weather events have shattered most model projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Meteorologists are grappling with this new ..

ASEAN must take note: Turkiye wants in but Gazas peace plan isnt legally ready Turkiyes willingness to contribute troops to a proposed International Stabilization Force in Gaza has drawn wide international attention. The devastation in Gaza is immense, and any credible effort to stabilise the territory appears urgent. Turkiyes readiness looks decisive and humanitarian- driven. Until the United Nations provides the necessary mandate, Turkiye cannot move from preparation to deployment. And this ..