Author: Francis Paul Siah

After Slim defeat, what now for Pejuang?

I think a leader should know how to read the people’s thoughts and gauge whether their time is up.   – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, two-time prime minister I do realise it isn’t nice, unfair even, to pour cold water on a political party that has not even been registered.

Why I wrote the ‘Hijack in Malaysia’ book

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. – Stephen King, American author I returned to Kuching, a city which I’m always proud to call my beloved kampung, and spent the whole of July to write

Why another race-based party, Dr M?

Wherever it takes disaster to unite, politics generally divide: and in eras of intense uncertainty, a nation’s people retreat into the tribes in which they feel the most secure. –Criss Jami, American poet As a Chinese and a Christian, let me make an honest political declaration here. If I were

Politics should be a vocation

I believe many of you will agree when I state here that we normally pay scant or no attention to what unknown politicians like defeated electoral candidates say or do. We are more likely to listen attentively to selected speeches and statements of ministers and elected representatives and dissect their

Whoever wins, Sabahans lose

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. – Richard Armour, American poet Imagine this. It took just one Umno assemblyman, Tan Sri Musa Aman, to attempt a coup against the Sabah government and it

Don’t be prisoners of a virus

In every crisis, doubt or confusion, take the higher path – the path of compassion, courage, understanding and love. – Amit Ray, author I am currently back in my dear hometown of Kuching for a little peace and quiet. It’s always nice to be home, only that this time, I

A parliament of baboons

A Parliament is nothing less than a big meeting ‘of more or less idle people. – Walter Bagehot, British journalist We have probably heard of a herd of cows, a caravan of camels, a pack of wolves, but there are many collective nouns for animals that are much less well-known,

Election manifesto: Salient points suffice

Any party can make 1,000 promises but at the end of the day, do they have the resources and capability to deliver the aspiration of the people? . — Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, Assoc Prof, Universiti Utara Malaysia In my many years as an editor, I must have dissected

Parliament sitting: What to expect

The simple fact is that a snap election won’t stop the political impasse because Umno and PAS can’t win 112 seats out of 165 seats in West Malaysia. — Wong Chin Huat, political scientist As Parliament convenes on July 13, we can expect a flurry of movements on both sides

Not for Dr M to choose

Thanks to photography, some memories overstay their welcome. — Mokokoma Mokhonoana, philosopher, social critic and writer Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has regularly denied that he has issues with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The former has repeatedly responded with more of the same. Both men have tried to be civil with