PETALING JAYA: The G25 group is watching the current state of politics with concern and believes that reforms are essential for creating a high level of confidence on the governance of the country. "While it is normal in vibrant democratic systems for there to be leadership changes from time to time, these should not cause anxieties and tensions, especially in the business community," said G25 in a statement. "If we have strong institutions to provide confidence that what

PETALING JAYA: Politicians and moderates are firm that the Kelantan state government’s proposal of using fields and stadiums as venues for public caning for offenders under the Syariah law cannot be allowed to happen. Former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Yunus said that under Prison Regulations 2000 caning must be done in prisons. He said as there were no Syariah prison or Syariah prison officers, such proposal if implemented, has to rely on prison officers who

The SPM results are out and as usual, the media’s focus is on the students who obtained straight As. This is rightly so as they deserve the limelight for all the discipline, hard work and effort put in. My heartiest congratulations to the high achievers and all the brave students. It is not easy to outsmart the examiners! On the other end of the spectrum, it can be crushingly painful for both the students and their parents if expectations were not met, and to consider the nex

MARCH 19 — One of the greatest insults to women is to say that rape is a result of their being “provocatively” or “sexily” dressed. In this way, the heinous and deplorable crime of rape is blamed on the victim. In Malaysia, such views are trafficked not just by ignorant lay people but also some Muslim religious leaders who have been known to make incredible claims about the relationship between rape and a woman’s attire. For example, it was recently reported that a Friday ser

DESPITE the ghost of 1MDB lingering in the background and the bad politics surrounding it, the news on the economy is encouraging. The ringgit is now one of Asia’s best performing currencies, benefitting from the stronger oil prices, implementation of the GST and the growing dynamism of domestic economic activities in driving GDP growth. With Europe and Japan adopting easy monetary policies to spur their domestic recovery, driving down yields in their home markets, foreign fu

PETALING JAYA: Muslims should have the freedom to think and discuss without being called “deviants”, says former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. He said Muslims in the country should be allowed to develop their potential like others. “That’s why they do not develop their potential, because they are prohibited from exercising their basic rights like thinking for themselves,” he said. He added that “the thinking ones are called deviants”. Zaid was responding to a recent statem