Latest posts by Mong Palatino from April, 2013
Malaysia: Which Party Has the Best Election Manifesto?
Malaysia’s 13th General Elections will take place on May 5 and fortunately, the major parties have unveiled their election manifestos which can guide voters in choosing the right candidates. Which party has the best manifesto?
Introducing Contemporary Indonesian Art
Adrian Vickers introduces the latest issue of the online journal ‘Inside Indonesia’ which features articles about contemporary Indonesian art. While politics has dominated the foreground of Indonesian art, the country’s contemporary art world faces a struggle between art’s engagement with society and the forces of commercialisation.
Indonesia: Teaching Jakarta's Street Children
Sahabat Anak is a non-profit Indonesian NGO which helps Jakarta's street children by conducting tutorial programs and providing an activity center for street teens, kindergarten for street toddlers, and transit house for street kids.
Animal Welfare Included in Singapore School Syllabus
Good news for animal lovers. Singapore’s Ministry of Education has confirmed that animal welfare will be included in the new ‘Character and Citizenship Education’ syllabus for primary and secondary students.
Thailand Police Shame Drunk Drivers on Facebook
Bangkok's Metropolitan Police has posted photos of drunk drivers on the public Facebook page of its deputy chief. The move is an apparent effort to show the seriousness of the police in apprehending drunk drivers but some are skeptical about its effectiveness and even its legality.
The Kingdoms of Southeast Asia
There are four monarchies in Southeast Asia: Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The March 2013 issue of the Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia discussed the history and prospects of these monarchies. In Brunei, the absolute monarchy is able to consolidate its rule by implementing generous welfare programs.
Philippine Education Directory
Filipino student leader Cleve Arguelles has listed a comprehensive matrix of Philippine education-related social media accounts. The directory features the country's leading universities, student councils and publications, government agencies and education officials
Malaysian 2013 Elections Alphabet
Art Harun gives a primer on Malaysia's 13th General Elections by listing and explaining some keywords that define Malaysian politics. For example, letter A refers to Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Opposition; while letter N refers to Najib Razak, the incumbent Prime Minister
Malaysian Students Can Learn Math Online
Edunation is a volunteer driven non-profit educational initiative whose mission is to provide a complete educational online resource for every Malaysian primary and secondary school student. It has already created and uploaded learning videos on math, science, economics, language and other subjects in the Malaysian school curriculum.
Addressing Malaysia's Debt Load
Economist Nurhisham Hussein analyzes Malaysia's debt burden. With respect to public debt, he proposes to rationalize government subsidies in order to reduce deficit. The author warns against rising low income household debt which he notes are increasingly provided through the non-bank sector.
Filipino Politicians Linked to Offshore Accounts
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that 500 Philippine residents, including some prominent politicians, are among those who maintained offshore accounts after it participated in a global collaborative project that reviewed the leaked files of more than 120,000 offshore companies and trusts.
Thailand: Victims of 2010 Protest Crackdown
Thai independent web portal Prachatai publishes the names of 21 civilians and five soldiers who died during a military crackdown of an anti-government protest three years ago. Officials of the previous administration continue to face trial for their role in the violent crackdown.
Helping Laos Recover from Cluster Bombs
Bryan Thao Worra, a Laotian American writer, reflects on his last trip in Laos where he witnessed the impact of cluster bombs in rural villages. Laos was one of the most heavily bombed countries during the Vietnam War and thousands of unexploded bombs continue to be a threat today.
The Role of Monarchy in Modern Thailand
Cod Satrusayang explains the significance of the monarchy in establishing and strengthening the modern state of Thailand: We have created a state in which it is necessary to have a King for without him we are doomed to the mass of military arrogance, political corruption and moral decay. Even today,...
Masked Protest Against Thai Royal Insult Law
Activists entered Thailand's National Book Fair wearing masks with the face of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a magazine editor who was sentenced to ten years for publishing articles which were deemed to insult the monarch. They distributed flyers asserting the ‘Freedom to Read, Write, Publish and Disseminate’ to highlight the negative impact...
Traveling in Pre-Modern Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia Visions is a collection of historical travel narratives of pre-modern Southeast Asia from Cornell University Library's John M. Echols Collection. The digital collection includes 10,000 images, drawings, photographs, prints and maps.
Vietnamese Farmer Faces Murder Charges
The family of Vietnamese soldier-turned farmer Doan Van Vuon who is facing murder charges for defending his land against government eviction forces issued an online appeal: These were people who came to rob us of our land, and our defensive response was only normal.
Voluntourism and Child Abuse in Cambodia
Miranda Kerr writes how some voluntourism efforts lead to more cases of child abuse in Cambodia: In ‘worst cases’ these children are ‘rented’ or even ‘bought’ from their families because they are perceived to be of more value by earning money pretending to be a poor orphan than studying and...
Filing Taxes Online in Thailand
Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri is satisfied with the online filing of personal income tax in Thailand: At that moment, I realised the true power of harnessing technology for government services — I filed my taxes without having to deal with a mountain of paperwork, queuing up in a mile-long line, and spending...
Philippines: ‘Save Manila Bay’ Campaign
Various groups in the Philippines are petitioning the Manila City government to cancel a contract that would allow the reclamation of 148 hectares covering three islands in Manila Bay. Aside from possibly blocking the fabled Manila Bay sunset view, the reclamation is seen as a threat to the environment
