anilnetto.comanilnetto.comThe journalism and other writings of Anil Netto - featuring real journalism in the cause of justice, freedom and solidarity Articles
?Wall of sound? confronts Blair at Westminster Cathedral
2008-04-04 17:26:00 I used to walk along the aisles of the magnificent Westminster Cathedral, the “mother church” of the Catholic community in the UK, in awe of its unusual Byzantine style, its heavenly choirs and the majestic organ music that reverberated across its cavernous interior. The Cathedral has been described as “a very special place of prayer, ... More About: Christianity , Islam , Iraq , Sound , Wall
Will Penang follow Selangor in banning hill-slope development?
2008-04-03 16:51:00 Today’s entry is from a guest writer in Penang , someone concerned about the unchecked property development in the state and its devastating impact on the environment: Heartening news today from Selangor where the new state government has announced a ban on development of hillslopes of 26 degrees gradient or more. When will Penang follow Selangor’s ... More About: Environment , Development , Hill
Turf Club members fret as Patrick Lim fails to deliver Batu Kawan racecours
2008-04-02 08:27:00 Abad Naluri’s dream in Batu Kawan goes awry It all seems to be going wrong for Patrick Lim. First, the Penang Global City Centre project has all but been killed off as a result of a concerted campaign by Penang civil society groups to save the Turf Club land on the island. Then, the Penang state government fell ... More About: Malaysian politics , Members
Anti-war protesters to blare music during Blair talk
2008-03-31 16:20:00 I must say this sounds like it’s going to be an unusual - if noisy! - anti-war protest directed at Blair. Spotted this on the Indymedia UK website: Sounding Out Tony Blair Stop the War Coalition | 31.03.2008 14:13 ... More About: Politics , Christianity , Music , Iraq , Protesters
Can Abdullah save Umno and the BN?
2008-03-30 12:16:00 I have been wondering about Zaid’s remarks on the 1988 Judicial Crisis. Has he really turned over a new leaf compared to the immediate aftermath of the 1988 crisis, especially in the light of his statements that he has apologised? This report from The Star: Zaid: I never endorsed Lord President Salleh Abas? dismissal By SHAHANAAZ HABIB KUALA LUMPUR: ... More About: Democracy , Judiciary , Save , Malaysian politics
A vulnerable Abdullah casts a wary eye at rivals
2008-03-29 03:50:00 From now onwards, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi will be casting a wary eye on all sides as rivals such as Tengku Razaleigh and Anwar sense his considerably weakened position, never mind that the BN is just eight seats short of a two-thirds majority. After all, under his stewardship, the BN lost five states and received less ... More About: Democracy , Malaysian politics , Casts , Rivals
Christian leaders must denounce the US war in Iraq
2008-03-28 13:42:00 Meet Robert Waldrop (left), one of the leading lights of the Catholic Worker movement in the United States. Bob runs the Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House in Oklahama, US. His powerful words - more than the way he looks - remind me of a biblical Old Testament prophet speaking truth to power! The Catholic Worker movement ... More About: Christianity , Christian , Iraq , War in Iraq , Militarism
State official forces last-minute change of venue for election talk
2008-03-28 05:35:00 More little Napoleons at work. Just received the following from Suaram Penang: A ban has been ordered by the state authority on SUARAM election talks! SUARAM Penang has received a last-minute call from the Caring Society Complex person-in-charge last night (26/3/08), who claimed that the Penang state Secretariat has ordered a ban on the coming Friday and ... More About: Change , Democracy , Talk , Election , State
Will Gerakan leave BN?
2008-03-27 04:00:00 Over the years, Gerakan has tried to change or reform the Barisan “from within” - or so it likes to claim. Clearly, it has failed. Did the BN instead end up changing Gerakan? The question on many people’s minds is, now what for the party that had governed Penang for close to 40 years? In a ... More About: Leave , Democracy , Malaysian politics
1988 judicial crisis: Is an apology sufficient?
2008-03-26 04:08:00 Former Lord President Salleh Abas has reacted positively to Zaid Ibrahim’s proposal that the government should apologise to him and the other top judges who were victimised and sacked in the 1988 judicial onslaught by the Mahathir administration. Of course, Karpal Singh has a point that when he says that it is not the present administration ... More About: Democracy , Judiciary , Judicial , Crisis , Apology
Penang school heads told not to invite State Govt leaders as VIPs
2008-03-25 08:07:00 School heads in Penang have been instructed or “advised” not to invite State Government leaders and elected representatives from the DAP-PKR as VIPs and guests-of-honour. The message was conveyed during a briefing last Wednesday by a senior official from the Penang Education Department, which comes under the federal-level Education Ministry. The directive/”advice” to play on the ... More About: Politics , School , Democracy
Big Brother is watching - via CCTV
2008-03-25 04:29:00 I am not alone in expressing reservations about the proliferation of CCTV cameras as the solution to crime prevention. A couple of friends have just sent me a few links. UK is CCTV capital It is estimated that there are some 4.2 million Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in Britain, one for every 14 people. An individual might ... More About: Big Brother , Poverty , Watching , Brother
Trengganu MB crisis: Follow the money trail
2008-03-24 11:46:00 I spent a couple of years in Trengganu when I was a kid. I have fond memories of a tranquil and rustic state, wonderful childhood neighbours - whom I have recently been reacqainted with after all these years - and family picnics at Pantai Chendering. So the high stakes battle in Trengganu over the choice ... More About: Money , Poverty , Accountability , Crisis , Civil society
He is risen!
2008-03-23 14:20:00 Easter morning in Penang: A new beginning Easter is the greatest festival in the Christian calendar - more important than Christmas. Christians believe that was the day Jesus triumphed over Death and appeared to his followers. As theologian Marcus Borg notes, he was executed by the Empire but vindicated by God. Too often, we only look at ... More About: Politics , Christianity , Militarism
Questionable land deals give Guan Eng huge headache
2008-03-22 15:19:00 Lin Lee presents the PGCC Campaign Group’s concerns as Guan Eng, Jeff Ooi and Liew Chin Tong listen It has been over a week since Lim Guan Eng was sworn in as Penang Chief Minister, but already he is discovering some of the serious challenges facing the new Penang state government. He faces a daunting task. ... More About: Environment , Democracy , Land , Give , Huge
Why did they put Jesus to death?
2008-03-21 16:29:00 Good Friday service at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Penang Christians believe Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. But that doesn’t answer the question - if he was a good man, even a prophet or claiming to be divine, preaching love, compassion and forgiveness, why did ... More About: Christianity , Poverty , Death , Militarism
Rumours prove unfounded as day passes peacefully in Penang
2008-03-20 14:12:00 Start of the Maulud Nabi procession outside Kapitan Keling Mosque Women and children in colourful attire participated Police didn’t expect any trouble but kept a watchful eye I thought I would head to George Town to see what was going on during the Maulud Nabi celebration today. Arrived near the Kapitan Keling mosque and saw a ... More About: Islam , Democracy , Penang , Rumours , Prove
What now after NEP?
2008-03-19 16:43:00 If the NEP goes, what will replace it? The Malaysian Economic Agenda? This policy calls for providing assistance to all those who need it, irrespective of ethnicity. Fine, but PKR, DAP and Pas leaders must realise that the people voted for more subsidies and greater government social spending. This is what they were promised. They did ... More About: Neo-liberal economics , Poverty , Democracy , Malaysian politics
The woman who masterminded Samy?s defeat
2008-03-19 08:32:00 Kumar and Rani in Penang fresh after their triumph in Sg Siput While everyone knows Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj as the guy who finally toppled Samy Vellu in his Sg Siput bastion, few are aware that his victory owes a lot to his wife and campaign manager, Rani Rasiah, a PSM central committee member, who played ... More About: Woman , Malaysian politics
Zaid Ibrahim, Shahrir IN; Rafidah, Tengku Adnan OUT
2008-03-18 05:34:00 PM Abdullah Badawi has just announced a “reformist” cabinet of sorts which includes critic Zaid Ibrahim as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department serving as de facto law minister. Zaid is likely to be made a senator first before he can take up his new appointment. The independent-minded Shahrir Samad makes a surprise entry as Domestic ... More About: Malaysian politics , Adnan
New Perak MB impresses Chinese crowd
2008-03-17 10:56:00 Looks like the new Pas MB in Perak has an impressive command of languages. This should stand him in good stead. This report from Sin Chew (click on link to see pictures): Perak MB-designate wows Chinese crowd IPOH, MALAYSIA: Perak Menteri Besar-designate Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS turned up at the ?What’s Coming Next? political forum held in ... More About: Crowd , Malaysian politics
Mainstream media trying to stir discord among opposition parties
2008-03-17 06:14:00 They are at it again, playing the same old game. This time they are trying to fracture the opposition parties’ unity of purpose and the stability of the new state governments they control. The NST, for instance, carried this report on the frontpage of its website: Pas’ proposal for Islamic govt irks DAP veteran ... More About: Media , Parties , Opposition parties , Mainstream Media , Malaysian politics
Malaysiakini surges past The Star Online
2008-03-16 15:56:00 Well, at least according to this Internet traffic ranking comparison chart from Alexa. Obviously, compared to the last time I checked, The Star has either slipped up or Malaysiakini has caught up, thanks perhaps to its decision to provide its service free in the run-up and immediate aftermath of the general election. There have also ... More About: Media , Online , Past , The Star
New Perlis MB chosen: It?s the Sultan?s choice
2008-03-16 15:32:00 The NST reports that Shahidan Kassim has failed in his last-ditch attempt today to secure the Perlis Mentri Besar post. It is learnt that Abdullah had already met the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail where they reached a consensus that Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu, who is the Ruler’s choice, would be ... More About: Sultan , Choice , Malaysian politics
There?s a new opposition newspaper in town
2008-03-15 15:24:00 Soon after it became clear that opposition parties had swept to power in five states, a senior staff member of The Star told me, with a laugh, “Do you know, I am now working for an opposition newspaper - in five states.” Which is true, because The Star is owned by the MCA, now ... More About: Media , Democracy , Town , Newspaper
1,000 join pro-NEP protest in Penang
2008-03-14 09:50:00 A friend of mine provides an eye-witness account and pictures of the pro-NEP demonstration around Komtar, Penang , this afternoon. (The Komtar tower houses the offices of the Penang state government offices and the Chief Minister.) The crowd, which included several Umno leaders and reps in the state, were protesting against Penang Chief Minister Lim ... More About: Join , Protest
?Business-friendly? or people-friendly state govts?
2008-03-13 06:05:00 There’s been a lot of reaction over the selection of the Perak Mentri Besar, which has gone to a Pas candidate. Kit Siang should not have asked his DAP state assembly members to boycott the swearing in. After all, there was an agreement among the DAP, PKR and Pas at the state level that they ... More About: Business , People , Neo-liberal economics , State , Friendly
BN?s popular vote dips below 50% in Peninsula
2008-03-11 07:00:00 Greetings from Ground Zero, three days after the political hurricane that struck a wide swathe all the way from Kedah to Selangor. This morning, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was sworn in as Penang Chief Minister even as Zakaria Md Deros passed away. (Oh, what good is storing worldly treasures in earthly palaces when you can’t ... More About: Popular , Vote , Peninsula , Malaysian politics
Jubilation in Sungai Siput as Samy rides into the sunset
2008-03-09 15:08:00 Photo credit: PSM Operations Room, Sungai Siput So Jeyakumar Devaraj of Parti Sosialis Malaysia has finally triumphed over S Samy Vellu. When I spoke to him early this morning, he sounded tired but happy. It had been a long, long struggle - more than nine years. “I think the victory was largely due to the nationwide swing ... More About: Sunset , Neo-liberal economics , Poverty , Malaysian politics
After an incredible night, BN loses two-thirds? majority!
More articles from this author:2008-03-08 13:01:00 Headline news: Penang, Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor, Perak fall to opposition hands. In: Jeyakumar Devaraj, Charles Santiago, Nurul Izzah, Prof Ramasamy, Tian Chua, Khairy(!) Out: Samy Vellu, Zam, Sharizat, Awang Adek, Koh Tsu Koon 5.47am - The results couldn’t be any better in terms of the fine balance among the opposition parties. PKR has the ... More About: Night , Democracy , Incredible , Malaysian politics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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