Stories about Malaysia from May, 2009
Internet in North Korea, Nokia's Ovi Store, Google Wave and Tech Happenings
Tech events were happening in Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. North Korea got mobile internet and Google released a new product. We have reviews, analysis and links from bloggers in Asia and Africa.
Malaysia: Globalization Dilemma – Educational Progress or Preserving Ethnic Identity?
The teaching of science and mathematics in English implemented in 2003 replaced Malay and other ethnic languages as the medium of teaching instruction in Malaysia. It is set for a final decision after long reassessment and repeated delay, with influential lobby groups aiming to preserve the relevance of ethnic languages especially the preeminence of Malay language as the national language in the age of rapid globalization.
Malaysia: Yuna Changes the Face of Indie Music
In recent years more and more independent musicians are gaining popularity thanks to social networking websites such as YouTube and MySpace. Meet Yuna from Malaysia. She is the talk of the local blogosphere for not only producing great music but also her wholesome image. She causes a stir, in a positive way, in the indie music scene for wearing the tudung, a scarf worn around the head by women in Malaysia.
Malaysia: Is The New PM a Market Reformer?
Are we expecting a gradual political revolution with new leadership in Malaysia? The Prime Minister does not only embrace social media technology to improve citizen engagement, he ventures a step further where none of his predecessors had attempted before to introduce selective liberalization on financial and service sectors recently.
Influenza A(H1N1) cases in Southeast Asia
Several Southeast Asian countries have confirmed that some of their citizens have tested positive for Influenza A(H1N1) infection. The region is no longer swine flu-free. Bloggers react as the virus continues to spread from one country to another.
Malaysia: Massive arrest of activists
A black T-shirt caused the massive arrest of 116 opposition members by the Malaysian government. Chong reports on the recent suppression of oppositional party in Malaysia at interlocals.net.
Malaysia: “Death of democracy” in Perak
Blogger ktemoc from Malaysia writes that the forcible removal of the Speaker of the Perak State Parliament by unidentified outsiders is “deplorable, disgraceful and deceitful in a democracy.”
Malaysia: “Demonizing” the new Prime Minister
Malaysia's former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, criticizes the Western media for “demonizing” the country's new Prime Minister
Southeast Asia: Twitter reactions on H1N1 virus
In the previous post, I featured the reactions of Southeast Asian bloggers on the H1N1 virus. This time, I will highlight the twitter reactions from twitterers in the region. Twitter posts are alternative sources of information and news updates about the virus scare. They also help us figure out the sentiments and knowledge of ordinary citizens about the H1N1.
Southeast Asia: Reactions to the H1N1 virus
Early this year, I wrote about the virus scare which swept the Southeast Asian region. Rising cases of dengue fever, chikungunya, bird flu and ebola viruses were registered in many countries in the region. There is another threat in the region: H1N1 virus (formerly known as “swine flu”)