Bowing and Scraping to the High and Mighty GDP
Hierarchy of Importance
The long boring speeches are the least of the formalities. There's the organisation, invitation, special seats reserved for the VIPs (or VVIPs – titles have a hierarchy too), special...
What Did We Miss in Syria?
The Downfall of Bashar al-Assad's Regime
The downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria surprised even the opposition, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, offering fertile ground for conspiracy theories. What roles did...
Dropping appeal in Zahid's VLN corruption case raises questions
The peculiar withdrawal
The withdrawal of the appeal against the acquittal of deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the foreign visa (VLN) system corruption case is quite peculiar. The prosecution pursued...
The Gall of Penang's Spokesmen for Islam
The Uninhibited Power of Islamic Studies Teachers in Chinese Schools
It is rumoured that Islamic Studies teachers in Chinese schools wield great power over their Muslim students. Islam is a domain that the authorities...
Worse than the Glazers?
A Tale of Woe at Old Trafford
<bob-holmes-columnist-250424-1.webp Any day now, the plane hire company that flies banners over Old Trafford will be expecting a call. It’ll be the same customer, same message – just a different...
What Will Happen to China's Economy in 2025?
China's Economy Finally Turning the Corner
China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed during the first three quarters of 2024, from 5.3% to 4.7% to 4.6%, raising fears that the country would not...
Private Healthcare, Insurance Premiums: A Disaster Waiting to Happen
The Proliferation of Private Hospitals in the Klang Valley
Let’s start with the sheer number of private hospitals in the Klang Valley. Estimates suggest that there are over 50 private hospitals operating...
The ‘election budget’: Guess who walked out
A new definition of an election budget?
This is certainly a change to see the government side taking pains to describe Budget 2018 as an “election budget”. This was the same phrase used by...
Tak Jawab Salah, Jawab Pula Dituduh
The Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQT) session in Parliament recently saw a heated debate over the "adendum" or additional documents related to the case of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is currently serving...
The Fall of the House of Assad
A New Era for the Middle East
The swift collapse, after 54 years, of Syria's al-Assad dynasty has just transformed the Middle East's geopolitical landscape. The lightning offensive by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham...
