Author: Francis Paul Siah

Old-school honesty in Thomas’ memoir

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. – Maya Angelou, American poet I believe it is true that many of us had long pointed our fingers at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the main player responsible for the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government last

Sarawak should appeal to lift emergency

Covid-19 has been used to justify Parliament being delayed, shortened and void of any debates. Now it is to justify declaring a state of emergency. But the power and authority in today’s government have been adequate to deal with the pandemic. – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad It is understood that

SDMC makes the right moves

This is the reality: the virus is there. We have to face it, but face it like a man, damn it, not like a kid. We’ll confront the virus with reality. That’s life. – Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil President I have refrained from returning to Sarawak over the past four months because

Listen to the cries of the suicidal

The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.” – Juliette Lewis, American actress Needless to say, it is very sad and depressing to hear of suicide cases. Many of us will never be able to comprehend why those driven to suicide find life

Triso tragedy: Stop the blame game

Playing the blame game? Get over it! Move forward! – Unknown It was a tragic accident. That was the clear picture from eyewitnesses of what had happened that fateful New Year’s Day at the Triso ferry point near Sebuyau. It took place on a bright afternoon, not in the dark,

Who’s dying to be a Datuk?

It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles. — Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian diplomat On my last trip back to Kuching in August, a conversation about datukship cropped up among two friends over breakfast in a kopitiam. Call it gossip if you will (aha, men also gossip too).

Christmas and the holy sacraments

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. — Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of US I read with interest a letter written by a Kuala Lumpur Catholic in

Status quo for GPS a right move

Malaysia does not need a ‘coalition of coalitions’ because everyone knows that it is a political strategy aimed at borrowing the strength of the biggest party and not to get genuine support from the people. — Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Umno vice-president No one, not even supporters of Perikatan Nasional (PN), took the

No more hope in Pakatan Harapan

Any political system can commit mistakes and any state can commit mistakes. What is most important is to acknowledge these mistakes and put them right as soon as possible and put those behind them into account, bring them to account. — Hosni Mubarak, fourth president of Egypt As a citizen,

A ‘delicate’ passage for 2021 Budget

2021 Budget has some initiatives for job creation by way of giving construction contracts. Though the intention is noble, the beneficiaries of these projects would be foreign workers, not locals. — Jalil Rasheed, former PNB president A friend called me last Saturday, telling me that he wanted to ask me