Author: M Rajah

I wish for a resilient and just nation

New year — a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours. — Alex Morritt, author, poet, lyricist and travel writer My aspirations for 2024 encompass a wide range of hopes and desires, focusing on progress, harmony, unity, and accountability.

Excessive parental interference with one’s relationship

The consequences of parental and sibling interference can last a lifetime, impacting one’s future relationships and decisions. In some cases, their interference can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress, causing harm to one’s mental health. – Unknown Just as I was thinking of what to write for today’s column,

Sarawak and the US-China competition

The establishment of a new type of inter-power relationship between China and the United States needs an accumulation of dribs and drabs. – Xi Jinping, Chinese President Did you know that the CIA used to have a listening post in Kuching at the height of the Cold War? In fact,

Are law enforcers becoming moral and fashion police?

Police officers should not be burdened with the added responsibility of first determining the complainant’s dress code, then classifying the severity of complaints before allowing any complainant to lodge a report. – SUPP Women chief Kho Teck Wan Fashion and moral policing in this country must stop immediately! The Anwar

Towards an efficient and effective civil service

Ten apathetic government officials can do more damage to a country, than a hundred crooked ones.– Abhijit Naskar, neuroscientist Early this year I wrote about the civil service, the Sarawak civil service in particular, which under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg went through notable changes since

Put the brakes on lane hoggers!

Traffic accidents resulting from the actions of offenders impose significant economic costs such as medical expenses, property damage, and legal proceedings. They also lead to lost productivity and additional expenses for transportation companies. – Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, social activist Some Malaysian drivers can be a real pain in

Boycott outlets with dirty stinking toilets!

You can go to a gas station and find the cash register open and the toilets locked. They must think toilet paper is worth more than money. – Joey Bishop, American TV entertainer who had his own weekly comedy series Yesterday was World Toilet Day. And I am glad that

Gaza a graveyard for children

Imagine yourself waking up and finding yourself inside that roar of rockets, bombardment and death symphony played by the howling of weeping. – Bela Anĝelo, personal assistant at Apple What’s happening in Gaza is nothing short of genocide! Different people and dictionaries have their definitions of the word ‘genocide’. I

Hard to forget someone who gave so much

If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again. – Author unknown Losing a loved one is never easy; the passing of someone close to you can be overwhelming, especially if it is a parent, spouse or a

Policy flip-flops at leaders’ whims and fancies

What does it matter if you can speak two or more languages if you have nothing original to say in any language? – Jarod Kintz, author Our lives – perhaps not for all but certainly for a significant number of us – are going to turn topsy-turvy yet again! All