ONE New Year gift that must surely cheer up all Malaysians is the appointment of Penang Mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif as executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements programme (UN-Habitat). Maimunah makes history by becoming the first Asian to hold this prestigious job, and her appointment helps meet one of UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’ promises to see women in more of UN’s senior most positions. UN-Habitat is considered one of the most active agenci

As the year comes to an end, the latest press statements from two civil society organisations, Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) and G25, provide renewed hope that the struggle for the freedoms and values of a robust democratic system will continue, with key stakeholders providing overdue support. For too long most Malaysians - outside the political arena, who are well-positioned to resist the authoritarian political and religious forces seeking to kill off moderate posi

PETALING JAYA: Moderation advocates have condemned the statement by preacher Azhar Idrus, who said that Muslim girls are marriageable at age 15 and Muslim women should not take photos in non-Muslim owned photo studios. In a Harakah Daily reader question-and-answer section, Azhar answered a query about the boundaries between men and women by saying that women are marriageable at 15 after they have reached puberty. He said, however, girls are getting married at a later

POLITICIANS (and presidents) come and go and governments can change around the world but investors and people stay in countries where they have trust in the strength of institutions that make up the backbone of a country. That is why it is important for Malaysia to make several structural reforms to strengthen the foundations of the country’s institutions so that poor governance does not sap the nation’s growth potential. “Several basic reforms are needed so that institutions

G25 stands in unity with Sisters in Islam, other civic groups, and academicians in the defence of freedom of speech. We too are alarmed at the investigation on Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi under Section 504 of the Penal Code in relation to the article that he wrote in The Star in which he touched on the radicalisation of Islam, claiming it is on the rise. The investigation against the professor on his claim sets a dangerous precedent that any discussion on Islam and

PETALING JAYA: Holding a Jerusalem solidarity rally is good but concrete steps still need to be taken to help the Palestinian cause, a former diplomat said today. Redzuan Kushairi said Prime Minister Najib Razak deserved the backing of all Malaysians on the matter, including having East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and standing up to any “bullying” by US President Donald Trump. “I think it is good to have such a solidarity march and for good reason. Malaysia’s foreig