Editor's Note - Issue 2004:4
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The contribution of political and business leaders to the nation�s prosperity is so often highlighted that we forget the huge contribution of ordinary workers. For this reason, May Day is an important reminder.
In this month�s cover story, Anil Netto reports on the successful national May Day gathering in Penang organised by grassroots groups. A. Ponniah highlights the decline of the labour movement and is critical of the harsh labour and union laws. K. George pins the blame for this weakening on the current toadying labour movement leadership. Within this context, Cecilia Ng discusses the increasing participation of women workers but points out that neither the unions nor the middle-class-led women�s organisations appear interested in their plight. We continue our analysis of the 2004 General Election. Mustafa Anuar enlightens us on the role played by the �media monitors� and their webblog. Rajen Devaraj, meanwhile, takes a critical look at Parti KeADILan�s dismal performance and urges the party to spend some time in introspection. Look out for former Supreme Court judge Datuk George Seah�s first instalment of �The Inside Story,� his version of events surrounding the 1988 Judicial Crisis. Former Maika managing director Tan Sri G K Rama Iyer falls back on the firm�s board minutes to counter allegations made by former MIC secretary general Tan Sri G Vadiveloo in AM Vol. 24:1. Aliran�s P Ramakrishnan then raises the question as to who should have inherited the 10 million Telekom shares - Maika with its 66,000 shareholders or three obscure, private firms with six shareholders in total. The back cover story by Sankaran Nair highlights the dire state of Anwar Ibrahim�s health, which deserves our compassion. | |||||||||||||||
