The Bowerbird Writes

“THERE is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again, now.”

IT IS either a brilliant move or a foolish one by President Joko Widodo or Jokowi. Naming the new capital of Indonesia, Nusantara, surprised almost everyone. Nusantara is a concept accepted by many as a geographical entity that belongs to the Malay diaspora in South-East Asia. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Nusantara as defined by Kamus Dewan is “Kepulauan Melayu” or “gugusan pulau-pulau Melayu” (literally the isles of the Malays).

ARE we becoming a nation of cheats and hypocrites, where the corrupt ones are heroes and the bigots and racists hailed as saviours?

THE floods that inundated many parts of Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Pahang two weeks ago were reminiscent of what happened in New Orleans, Louisiana in August 2005.

Marina Mahathir’s book The Apple and The Tree is not only a riveting tale told with frankness and honesty but also about the special bond that defines the daughter-father relationship.

IT IS a monumental endeavour - the biggest lexicographical project the country has ever known. It took more than 30 years, starting in 1990, to complete.

A FAMOUS entertainer, some years before her demise, requested that newspapers and TV stations not use any photos or visuals without her wearing the tudung (hijab). Those were her jahiliah (ignorant) days, she had said. She was not alone. Many Muslim ladies today dread their earlier photos without the tudung to be posted even among family WhatsApp groups.

MUSLIMS in this country must ask really tough questions on what kind of Islam we are propagating.

MY rubber tapper father had one advice: “Jangan jadi macam ayah (don’t be like me).”

MOST Malaysians weren’t even aware that their Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp accounts were down from midnight last Monday. When they woke up on Tuesday morning, the social media apps under the Facebook behemoth were largely restored. For more than seven hours, the services were unavailable.

AT 61, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the one of the oldest Malaysian prime ministers appointed to office.

The Budget tabling next month should be one with a difference, setting the agenda for a country struggling with the pandemic and an economy in the doldrums.