Editor's Note - Issue 2004:9
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All who followed the UMNO General Assembly must have been disappointed that nothing exciting happened. Nor were important issues debated.
In this month�s lead story, Khoo Boo Teik looks into what was debated and what wasn�t. Most significant - yet not debated - was the emergence of the four rising sons and the probable making of an oligarchy on the one hand and another bout of infighting on the other. Could we be glimpsing UMNO�s future dilemma, he asks. The accompanying story by Martin Jalleh highlights the principal contradictions that emerged during the Assembly. For example Abdullah�s call to observe ethics and discipline was roundly applauded even as the party was mired in serious money politics. Don�t miss our culture and arts centre-spread by Khoo Gaik Cheng, who introduces us to the world of independent filmmaking in Malaysia. She provides info on websites and places to catch some of these films. We carry Part 2 of Malaysia�s Misfortunes and Misery by K George, a reminder of the scandals and abuses that plagued the country during the Mahathir era. Salbiah Ahmad continues our discussion on the civil-syariah conflict in relation to infant conversions while Prema Devaraj zeroes in on the furore surrounding marital rape. In our back-cover story, Gustri Ayuka provides important background info on the avian flu outbreak, which has arrived at our doorstep in Kelantan. The government must be totally transparent in handling this epidemic if it expects full cooperation, she says. Get your copy now! Available at leading bookshops and news-agents. Or better still, subscribe now. | |||||||||||||||
