Carolyn Khor's blog

  The “Orangutan Diplomacy” programme suggested in May has been revised with an in-situ approach. Plantation and commodities minister Johari Abdul Ghani said that the decision to shift from the initial plan was made after consulting various parties, such as NGOs and environmental activists. He said that while many parties accepted the idea of the ‘Orangutan Diplomacy’ proposal, a few were against it. “After discussions with stakeholders in the palm oil industry, an in-situ approach will be adopted, where all conservation activities will be carried out in their natural habitats, whether in forests or forest patches within palm oil plantations, known as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas. “It’s true, we should keep the orangutans in their natural habitat. We need to protect the orangutans,” he said during the launching of the World Orangutan Day in Sandakan yesterday. He said that the orangutans will be free to move about to forage and breed without any interference from humans,...

C arolyn Khor, Murray Hunter and Lim Teck Ghee   Amongst the advantages of an East Malaysian-led or influenced government is its potential to reject pressure from racial and religious extremism. Unlike the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak have historically been more tolerant and diverse in their religious and secular practices. By promoting inclusivity and pluralism, an East Malaysian bloc can mitigate the influence of extremist ideologies in politics and the civil service.   Another is the much more multiracial and polyglot communities in the two states and the absence of the traumatic May 13 racial chapter of history which not only transformed Peninsula politics and society.  Its  dark shadow is repeatedly raised by Peninsula politicians to stifle the nation’s progress to a psychologically and mentally liberated society.   To address the challenge of political transformation effectively, we have compiled a list of  issues and assesse...

Murray Hunter, Lim Teck Ghee and Carolyn Khor Two recent news items reveal the enormity of the policy challenges that the country faces in dealing with not only domestic issues but also in keeping up with a rapidly transforming region and world.  The first is the disclosure by PMX of our education. According to Anwar, “If we look at the bare facts, some of these are concerning. Let us refer to the latest Pisa report, which is a compelling case (of the country's) level of success. "Out of 81 countries selected in the analysis, we are number 51 particularly in Science, Mathematics and English language. Even among seven Asean countries,we are the worst of all." The second is by the World Bank which, in its most recent report, stated what has been evident but which the politically correct institution for the longest time ever has refrained from emphasising in its reports during the previous decades. "Malaysia is another country which has underachieved. It has tre...

  Lim Teck Ghee, Murray Hunter and Carolyn Khor For years there has been talk of a ‘third force’ to radically change the nature of politics and government in Malaysia. The noble objectives included unity, opportunity and socio - economic growth, while avoiding race, religious, and geographical divisions. Although these principles have some general support, attempts of launching new parties have come and gone, leaving the race-based Semenanjung dominant party status quo intact and unchallenged. Malaysia is losing its competitive position in the region. The economy is not evolving in a way to structurally prepare for the future, and the wellbeing of the Rakyat is deteriorating. These are undeniable truths which the great majority of Malaysians from all races and sides of the political divide are in agreement. The government needs to be run by people, with a clear intent of being for the people, and driven by a vision of a Malaysia that can evolve and cement an i...