The Global South had little voice, let alone influence, in shaping the economically neoliberal and politically neo-conservative globalization leading to contemporary geopolitical economic conflicts. Pacifist non-aligned cooperation for sustainable development offers the best way forward. Realizing non-alignment for our times should begin with current realities rather than abstract, ahistorical principles. 2025 is also the 70th anniversary of the beginnings of non-alignment, first mooted at the ..

Wayward MDIO officers put national security at risk The report that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed concern over the arrests of two officers from the Malaysian Defense Intelligence Organization (MDIO) should not surprise anymore. After all, this is a very serious case, and the prime minister himself has warned that it could pose national security risks. When intelligence officers, especially from a unit as sensitive as the MDIO are arrested, the implications go far beyond a simple ..

Artificial intelligence and big data are not merely new technologies; they represent civilizational shifts that may eclipse even the Industrial Revolution in their impact. Jobs will vanish, new industries will emerge, but wealth will continue to concentrate in the hands of a shrinking global elite. The central questions of ownership, control, and the potential abuse of big data must be addressed. At stake is nothing less than the rewriting of the social contractone in which governments will ..

A timely reminder for every MalaysianSalam Merdeka During the hour-long Grab ride from Damansara to KLIA, I found myself in an unexpectedly deep conversation with the drivera man whose tired eyes reflected the weight of daily struggles, yet also an unmistakable spark of hope. His story unfolded not as a polished speech, but through candid words and heartfelt truths that gripped me, inspiring a reflection on what it truly means for Malaysia to rise again this Merdeka. Look, boss, he began, ..

In 2024, Malaysia was shaken by the tragic death of 29-year-old Rajeswary Appahu, better known as Esha. After enduring relentless cyberbullying, she took her own life. Her loss sparked a landmark legal reform: the Penal Code Section 507D (2), now known as the _Esha Clause_, criminalizing severe forms of cyberbullying. Just a year later, the nation was again jolted when 13-year- old Zara Qairina, a Form One student in Sabah, died after being brutally bullied at school. Her ordeal reignited ..

Anwar, Fadhlina must not underestimate the impact of Zaras case I have been away from campus for a long time and when it comes to bullying, my most vivid experiences and memories are of workplace bullying. Returning to the topic of this article, whether bullying occurs on campus or in the workplace, once it is tolerated, it will only intensify. What is most chilling is often not the bullying itself but the inaction of those supposed to bear responsibility for oversight and governance. In cases ..

Please invest in prevention of bullying in schools The tragic death of Zara Qairina Mahathir, possibly linked to bullying, has ignited a nationwide dialogue on bullying in schools and spurred the government to seriously consider the problem. We hope this will not be limited to a media cycle but will bring concerted change that will reduce the huge problem of bullying in schools and institutions of higher education. We are concerned that current measures by the government are predominantly ..

Flag mistake: Unity Government shooting itself in the foot I am completely confounded this Merdeka, because our homeland has been messed up by irresponsible politicians eager to hype up issues and instigate intercommunity confrontation and suspicion. I am utterly terrified this Merdeka, because fear has become the common poison forced into our society. A simple flag-hanging action out of pure patriotism could become a subject of political bullying, facing potential police summoning or even ..

Dr Akmals political saga continues with Johor support Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh was slapped with a charge of allegedly causing public fear on Friday. About 300 Umno youth members and supporters from Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur were present to show support, turning the court proceedings into a political show. Dr Akmal, who pleaded not guilty, told the media outside the magistrates court that the crowd at the Bukit Mertajam court was not there to support ..

**Approved investments vs FDI: Manipulation, or truly a non-issue? ** In the past few years, every time the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) publishes the figures for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), certain quarters tend to compare the FDI figure against the Foreign Investment (FI) data captured by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). Allegations tend to follow on how they believe the MIDA numbers are fudged to achieve a feel-good factor. Never mind that since ..

Resurging nationalism in Southeast Asia: A blessing or a curse? We define nationalism as an assertive identification with the nation-state, often linked to cultural pride, sovereignty and resistance to foreign influence. Renowned scholar Benedict Anderson, in his foundational work _Imagined Communities_, describes nationalism as a product of imagined connection. He argues that nations are cultural artifacts through which people cultivate a sense of belonging and unity, even without direct ..

Wings of Unity, Borneo for You: Perfect tags for AirBorneo Six months after Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg announced the establishment of AirBorneo following the February 12 signing of the sale and purchase agreement between the Sarawak government and Malaysia Aviation Group, Sarawakians have been updated with the latest development on August 21. Im very pleased that the GPS Government has informed the people of whats happening in AirBorneo. Because of its significance, Sarawakians must be ..

The retired Chief Justice, Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said that there shouldn't be any obstacle for the police to locate Indira Gandhi's child, who was abducted by her former husband Mohamad Riduan Abdullah who before his conversion to Islam was known as K Pathmanathan. Upon her divorce from her abusive husband, Indira was granted custody of their three children, but Pathmanathan kidnapped them, then illegally converted them to Islam, after he too had undergone conversion. The conversion of his ..

AI in Malaysia: Caution without strategy is its own mistake Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims warning on the perils of artificial intelligence (AI) spending captures Malaysias dilemma: spend without discipline and billions will be wasted, hesitate too long and the nation risks being left behind in the next wave of technological sovereignty. Whatever AI may be, Malaysia must strike a balance: rigorous safeguards against waste and corruption, alongside bold investment to ensure the nation is not left ..

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept from science fiction. It has become a force that can reshape industries, societies, and the very essence of human interaction. Education, the cornerstone of social progress, is increasingly becoming intertwined with AI. The way countries equip the next generation with AI skills could determine their technological edge in the future. In this area, China is quietly taking the lead. While Western countries, especially the United States, have ..

Many people shook their heads in dismay, saying this is worse than the underworld, even worse than loan sharks. Im referring to the incident where Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramlis young son was injected with a syringe threatening AIDS vicious and despicable! The underworld and rivals, when in conflict, usually try to resolve matters through negotiation. If talks fail, they may issue threats but they do not target children. Loan sharks, when collecting debts, also go after the debtor. The harsher ones ..

The recent flag controversy has once again thrown Malaysias politics into a familiar loop of heated debates over patriotism, race, and identity. This time, it centered on an error involving the Jalur Gemilang that quickly turned into a national talking point. Instead of being handled quietly, it became headline news and a rallying issue for certain political actors. It is not unusual for political figures to seize on symbolic issues, but what is striking here is how fast it escalated and how ..

Plastic promises, hollow outcomes: Another global failure on pollution They came together in marble corridors with briefcases full of reports, statistics, and speeches. They arrived from 185 countries, convening in the grand halls of Geneva with the restless expectation of history in the making: a landmark global treaty to stop plastics from choking our planet and bloodstream. Instead, late last night, they left empty-handed, scattering back to their capitals with little more than diplomatic ..

If the flag could talk: Straight lessons from an upside-down issue It happened again. The Jalur Gemilang, our proud national flag, displayed upside down. A mistake? An oversight? Or something deeper? A symptom of lapses in discipline, attention, and respect for what should be among our most sacred national symbols? This is not the first time. Weve seen it before on public buildings during National Day celebrations, printed incorrectly on banners, reversed on promotional merchandise, even ..

From outrage to action: Closing Malaysias loopholes on school bullying School bullying and violence have long plagued Malaysia despite nationwide outrage and repeated calls for action. Policy gaps and inconsistencies undermine efforts, allowing such behaviors to persist in learning institutions. Bullying has lifelong health ramifications for both victim and perpetrator. To cope, adolescents may turn to smoking, alcohol, or illegal drugs. In the worst case, bullying drives victims to attempt ..

Many Malaysians continue to leave; what will make them stay? The following are excerpts of his piece which I think are important to highlight his concerns on the matter. The Home Ministry yesterday revealed, in a written reply to Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PNKota Bharu) in Parliament, that nearly 100,000 Malaysians have become Singaporeans over the past decade. That figure should be a wake-up call for every policymaker to ask: Why are so many of our people leaving, and what will it take to ..

TICADs role amid growing global engagement in Africa The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) began in 1993 as a multilateral conference focused on African development. With a projected economic market size of over 2.4 billion people by 2050 and an abundance of critical minerals, Africa has altered Japans position in economic diplomacy and economic security. Additionally, Africa is a region with a strong presence in terms of the number of countries in the group of ..

The tragic death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was the last straw that broke the camel's back, after a string of several deaths and injuries from bullying in schools, and educational establishments, throughout Malaysia. Cases of bullying in educational establishments range from physical assault, mental abuse, sexual harassment and rape. Many remain unresolved. After cases of bullying find its way into the media, the various ministries will issue statements that new guidelines will be ..

Kim Yo Jong casts her first flirtatious glance at a second Trump administration Kim Yo Jong, deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea (WPK), issued her first statement under her own name on March 3, 2020. In the statement, she denounced the South Korean presidential office as a mere child and a burnt child dreading fire. At the time, the South Korean president was the progressive Moon Jae-in, and Kim openly expressed her dissatisfaction with his ..

Alliance for Northeast Asia nuclear-weapon-free zone Eighty years since a nuclear Armageddon leveled two Japanese cities, ending the bloodiest armed conflict in history, nuclear anxiety is rising in this region. At the crux of this paradoxical security dilemma is the Korean Peninsula, with no end in sight to its division, imposed by the Allies upon their victory. North Korea continues to expand its nuclear stockpile as a de facto nuclear power, and big-power rivalries intensify to reshape the ..

The accumulation of still growing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in an increasingly unequal world is accelerating planetary heating. It is also worsening disparities, especially between the rich and others, both nationally and internationally. In our grossly unequal world, international disparities account for two-thirds of overall income inequalities. National income aggregates and averages can mislead by obscuring significant disparities within countries. Meanwhile, GHG emissions continue to ..

Are we getting what we pay for? Need for proactive product safety agencies Consumers today face a bewildering array of grocery items and household productsfrom food and drink to cooking oil, soaps, detergents and toilet cleaners. Yet, despite their daily use, many question whether these products are truly safe, effective, or worth the price. There are several stories of shrinking soap bars, diluted cleaners, and suspiciously cheap imports flooding the market, leaving consumers, especially the ..

Malaysian drivers in Sydney: Lessons for safer roads at home When I first started driving in Sydney, it felt like a dream in slow motiona far cry from the swift, sometimes impatient, rhythm of Malaysian roads. My daughter once joked, _"Acha, I am pushing my car here,"_ as we rolled down a quiet Sydney lane at 40 km/h (about 25 mph) near a school area. Driving in Sydney offers a striking contrast to the experience on Malaysian roads. With school zones strictly enforced at 40 km/h during school ..

Education for children with disabilities: Inclusion, integration or segregation? It is heartening to see that the government has given more emphasis to persons with disabilities, both in Budget 2025 and Rancangan Malaysia Ke-13 (RMK13), focusing on services for children with autism. However, we note that the policy plans for growing services for the education of children with disabilities are to segregate or integrate children but not to include them. We would like to reflect on these plans to ..

Akmal capitalizes on national flag controversy for own political gain In the past, when people saw national flags flying everywhere, the patriotic atmosphere would instantly be felt. Many would gladly respond to the governments call to hang Jalur Gemilang at home, in shops and even on cars. But this year, people hang the flag with apprehension, looking over their shoulders, afraid that if they hang it the wrong way, they might get targeted. When one hangs the flag upside down, a normal reaction ..

This is the first time that Malaysia has seen such a large-scale civil rights action, the first of its kind in Malaysia. Tens of thousands of Sabahans took to the streets of Sandakan, Tawau, and Lahad Datu of their own accord to demand justice for a young girl named Zara Qairina Mahathir. People held up banners and chanted, "Justice for Zara!" They even composed a sorrowful song about Zara that is being sung all over Sabah. Thirteen-year-old Zara was a student at a religious boarding school. To ..

Three teenagers posted a viral video of them handling a homeless man a rice packet with chicken bones, sparking tremendous fury among Malaysians across all ethnic backgrounds. I have always opposed to irresponsible social media posts for the singular motive of capturing tons of views, as I am convinced that any action must be accompanied with a responsibility. When pursuing likes and follows becomes the sole reason for an action, that signals the start of a gradual decline in human morality ..

Fulfill responsibility to pass on memory of atomic bomb, wars horrors Eighty years have passed since the atomic bombings. There are few opportunities left to hear the voices of the survivors. It is Japans mission to pass on the reality of the atomic bombings and to increase international momentum to prevent the use of nuclear weapons. Hiroshima will mark the anniversary of its atomic bombing on August 6, and Nagasaki on August 9. As of the end of March this year, the number of atomic bomb ..

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's approval ratings hit rock bottom during the judicial crisis and anti-Anwar rallies; many predicted he wouldn't win another term. However, as the old saying goes, a crisis is an opportunity. Opportunity always favors the prepared and the lucky. Thailand and Cambodia had a border conflict, triggered by an ancient temple. Of course, there are more complex reasons behind it, such as the power struggle between the Thai government and military, and the ..

Will the police learn from their mistakes in model's death? It is utterly disgraceful that a mother was forced to take legal action against the police, the inspector-general of police, the government of Malaysia, and the Home Minister to bring justice to her daughter. On 7 December 2017, 18-year-old model, Ivana Smit, was found dead at the foot of a 20-storey apartment block in KL. After being given the runaround by the police, a questionable first autopsy, and a highly unsatisfactory ..

ByPiti Srisangnam, Suthichai Yoon / Asia News Network ByPiti Srisangnam, Suthichai Yoon / Asia News Network By any measure, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnans recent warning about the Thai-Cambodia border clash should not be taken lightly. He called it a major setback for ASEANs credibilitya stinging but fair observation. The flare-up, which left soldiers dead and civilians displaced, exposed the cracks in ASEANs long-boasted solidarity. And yet, to leap from setback to irrelevance ..

Reciprocal tariffs revisited: Relief for some, sovereignty for sale? The US has quietly lowered its so-called reciprocal tariffs for a select group of countries. But as rates drop, the real cost may be risingin market concessions, policy shifts, or even access to strategic resources. In a world of **coercive trade diplomacy**, the real cost of tariff relief may not be measured in percentages, but in sovereignty. When Washington announced tariff reductions for a select group of nations this ..

There is a global debate about the death penaltyits morality and utility, and its clash with evolving conceptions of justice and human rights. Malaysia has about 33 capital penalty offenses in a variety of statutes like the Penal Code, Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Internal Security Act 1960 (now repealed), Strategic Trade Act 2010, and Water Services Industry Act 2006. Till 2023, 13 of these 33 offenses carried a mandatory death sentence. However, beginning in 2012, a number of significant reforms ..

A series of development initiatives for future development are outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan. While many of these have received widespread approval and are positive in nature, some suggestions and measures have raised concerns and controversy. The most intense public backlash is undoubtedly directed at the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for its study on the implementation of monthly retirement withdrawals. According to the report, the government will focus on reforming the EPF scheme by ..

Concerns over a tariff race fueled by Trumps reciprocal tariffs: The roles of Japan and ASEAN at the 30th anniversary turning point of the WTOs founding **The impact of reciprocal tariff policies and national responses** The reciprocal tariff policies announced by the Trump administration in April 2025 were a major shock to countries around the world because they undermined the existing international trade order. More recently, on August 1, the United States officially introduced a tariff ..