In economics, halal should be beyond food. This is what I gathered from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s thought when he gave a speech at Global Halal Summit. He made three important points. First, “maqasid syariah” (higher purpose) shapes not only the halal sector…
Let me begin with a small but meaningful change instituted by the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad on batik and building temperature. Yes, wearing batik to work. In the early weeks of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s premiership, he…
A fresh look at the immense potentials of Greater Johor Bahru, also known as the Iskandar region, would serve as the catalyst for Malaysia’s second economic takeoff. Greater Johor Bahru should be positioned as the nation’s second metropolitan after the Klang Valley, and to achieve…
SEPT 2, 2008 — A decade ago today, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was dismissed by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. From the halls of power, as Anwar puts it in one of his earliest prison letters, he descended into “the labyrinths of…
For Malaysia to hold its social fabric coherently, and, more narrowly, for the Unity ticket to win the 16th General Election, economic policies must be shaped to result in general prosperity from the bottom up. A clear economic message has emerged from the recent six…
To win GE16 convincingly, the Unity ticket must get at least half of the Malay votes as well as maintaining the level of support among non-Malays, convincing them that voting for Perikatan Nasional is not a viable option. To envisage such a winning coalition of…
In the aftermath of the six state elections in Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, at a glance it seems that Perikatan Nasional has gained ground at the expense of Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional. But there is more than meets the eye.…
I took a day off from the election campaign trail to be in Singapore, at the invitation of Professor Simon Tay, to deliver a keynote speech at Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)’s 15th ASEAN and Asia Forum. The forum’s theme was “Rebuilding Resilience in…
I refer to the “Madani Economy: Empowering the People” launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this morning. It is a clear indication that the government is ready to chart a new future in order to bring Malaysia to the next level, to be…
LABOUR crunch seems to feature prominently in the conversation among employers, even after the government has relaxed restrictions on hiring foreign labour. Employer organisations are even talking about prisoners and refugees as potential workers. The most interesting development is when some employers are willing to talk…