Stories from Quick Reads and Malaysia
Twitterjaya: Aiming to be Malaysia's Twitter Account
The @twt_malaysia twitter account was set-up to curate tweets about Malaysia. A new curator is chosen every Monday
North Korean Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur Dishing up Dollars?
Diana van Oort wrote a post on North Korean restaurants in Kaula Lumpur in one travel site. After explaining her general impressions of food, service and atmosphere, the author included some context on how the North Korean regime use chains of restaurants to earn foreign currency.
Malaysia: Petition for Free and Fair Access to Media
Bersih, an election reform movement in Malaysia, identifies key reforms that the government can implement to ensure free and fair access to media during elections
Biggest Rally in Malaysia
Anil Netto describes the recent Bersih 3.0 protest in Malaysia as the biggest display of people power in the country. Bersih is an electoral reform movement.
Malaysia: Religion, Academe, and Freedom
Hwa Yue-Yi tackles the issue of academic freedom and religious freedom in a Muslim-dominated society like Malaysia
Hashtags to Monitor Indonesia quake
An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 hit Indonesia on April 11. The tremors were also felt in Thailand, Malaysia, and Myanmar. A tsunami alert was issued in several countries but it has been lifted already. Netizens use the hashtag #thaiquake, #prayforsumatera, and #prayformalaysia to monitor the quake impact.
Southeast Asia Digital Library
The Southeast Asia Digital Library provides educators and students with materials published in Southeast Asia. The online library contains digital facsimiles of books and manuscripts, as well as multimedia materials and searchable indexes of additional Southeast Asian resources.
Malaysian Bill Watcher
Malaysian Bill Watcher is a citizen media initiative which was launched to monitor the activities of the Malaysian Parliament and to inform the public about the laws enacted by the institution
Southeast Asia: Internet Freedom Rating
Aim Sinpeng discusses the study made by OpenNet Initiative about the state of internet freedom or unfreedom in several Southeast Asian countries. ‘Partly Free’ countries include Malaysia and Indonesia while ‘Not Free’ countries include Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam
Malaysia: Petition Against Sarawak Dams
An online petition urges the Malaysian government to review its plan to build twelve “highly destructive” hydroelectric dams in Sarawak that will displace tens of thousands of people and flood large tracts of tropical rainforest.
Southeast Asia: Restoring Historic Towns
Dr. Apiwat Ratanawaraha writes about several projects in Southeast Asia that seek to restore historic towns and promote cultural tourism. Some of the ongoing projects are located in Singapore’s Boat Quay, Malaysia’s Georgetown, and Thailand’s Chiang Mai
Saudi Journalist Detained in Malaysia for ‘Offensive’ Tweet
Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari was stopped at Malaysia's airport after Saudi Arabia ordered his arrest. The journalist is accused of sending a twitter message that ‘insulted’ Prophet Mohammad
Common Language in Southeast Asia
What should be the common language in the Southeast Asian region? Thai, Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Melayu? Kaewmala discusses this issue.
Malaysia: Biofuels and Deforestation
Shreeya Sinha of Asia Society interviews James Whitlow Delano who has been documenting the impact of bio-fuels and deforestation in Malaysia
Malaysia: Proposed Race Relations Act
Ann Surin reviews the proposed Race Relations Act in Malaysia which the government hopes would prevent race-based discrimination in the country.
Malaysia: Improving Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
KW Mak writes about the inadequacy of local laws to address the accessibility of public building for people with disabilities in Malaysia
Reviewing Malaysia's National Car Policy
Anil Netto lists the reasons why he thinks Malaysia's national car policy is a ‘big mistake.’ He mentioned that “the dependence on motor vehicles puts Malaysians at the mercy of higher oil prices.”
Southeast Asia Indie Music
Southeast Asia Indie aims “to unite and promote the great indie scenes in the Southeast Asian Region: Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.” It specializes in releasing free digital mp3 compilations and singles that include indie tracks from the region.
Malaysia: Airport Tax Increase
There is opposition to the increase in airport taxes collected from tavellers in Malaysian airports.
Racism in Malaysia
The Human Rights Foundation has drafted a report about the extent of institutional racism in Malaysia.
Lusophone Heritage of “Portugality” Around the World
A Facebook group and a mapping website called “Portugality” have been created to explore the cultures that result from the “global cultural fusion started by Portuguese navigations of the XVth. century and lasting to this day in places like Brazil, Mozambique, East Timor or Malacca”.
