This was a platform designed to let participants speak openly, without fear or favour, on the performance of the “unity government”.

True to its concept, the session had no keynote speakers. The floor was given entirely to participants, encouraging authentic, ground-level feedback and diverse perspectives.

Held at Coex @ Kilang Besi, the event drew active engagement from participants who valued the openness and inclusivity of the platform.

Traffic congestion, overdevelopment and housing affordability were the issues that dominated the discussion. These are longstanding concerns among people in Penang.

As Trump closed his eyes and clasped his hands, the pastors prayed for “wisdom from heaven to flood his heart, his mind” and for divine protection for the president and his troops.

Now, how does that square with the suffering of millions of ordinary people affected by the disastrous ongoing war. Think of the 168 (including about 110 children) who lost their lives in an air strike on their primary school in Iran.

US–Israeli attacks on Iran have killed almost 2,000 people (including hundreds of women and children), injured 25,000, and displaced over 3.2 million from their homes. The strikes started during the fasting month of Ramadan and carried on over the Eid al-Fitr festivities. In retaliation, Iran fired drones and missiles, killing about 28 people and injuring over 5,000 in Israel.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world have been hit by price hikes and shortages arising from this unnecessary war of choice.

This is not the Christianity of the Gospels. It couldn’t be further removed from Jesus’ Beatitudes, the charter of his teachings: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God” and blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice)…

Full article on Aliran website

Aliran is encouraged to note that the government has finally grasped the gravity of the allegations that have surfaced against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s chief commissioner and some of its officers.

These unsettling allegations have increasingly become a matter of public concern.

However, given the magnitude of the allegations that have emerged from recent Bloomberg reporting, we call for the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry rather than a task force.

While the questionable acquisition of shares by MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki warrants investigation, Bloomberg has made a far more serious allegation. This concerns the alleged use of MACC officers by a certain group of business people to intimidate senior officials of targeted companies with the ultimate objective of taking over these companies at suppressed valuations.

This allegation, if true, represents an existential threat to our capital markets and our credibility as an investment destination. Such alleged machinations would severely compromise the independence and integrity of the commission, whose fundamental purpose is the combating of corruption.

More critically, these allegations point to the potential capture of state institutions by a certain group. If true, this would strike at the very foundation of our regulatory framework and economic governance.

The implications extend far beyond individual misconduct. These allegations, if substantiated, would shatter our regulatory credibility and our ability to demonstrate predictable and rational economic investment behaviour in the eyes of international markets.

To ensure that investigations can be carried out effectively without any internal interference or hindrance, we call for Azam and all other implicated MACC officers (if any) to be relieved of their duties and placed on garden leave until investigations are completed.

READ MORE: Azam Baki’s retirement hints cannot distract from dire need for structural MACC reforms
The government’s plan to set up a task force that would submit a report to the cabinet is simply not enough. This would be widely perceived as merely an internal probe that lacks the credibility and public trust necessary to address allegations of this magnitude.

Only a royal commission of inquiry, with full investigative powers, independent membership and public transparency, can adequately examine these serious allegations and restore confidence in our institutions. This royal commission must comprise individuals who are independent of and not members of the current administration. Its report should be made available in the public domain for maximum transparency.

We therefore urge the government to demonstrate its commitment to accountability and institutional integrity by establishing a royal commission immediately

Beyond this immediate crisis, we call for key structural reforms to safeguard the MACC’s independence and integrity.

First, the MACC must be removed from the Prime Minister’s Department and placed under parliamentary oversight. This would eliminate potential conflicts of interest and ensure the commission operates free from executive interference.

Second, the appointment of the MACC chief commissioner must be subject to vetting and approval by a bipartisan parliamentary select committee. This would ensure transparency, accountability and broad-based confidence in the leadership of this critical institution.

These structural reforms are essential to prevent future compromises of the MACC’s integrity and to restore public trust in Malaysia’s anti-corruption framework.

Aliran executive committee
14 February 2026

(I remember back then there were questions about whether Ivory Property had the financial muscle to handle the ‘Penang World City’ project in Bayan Mutiara. It had acquired the land from PDC for RM1.07bn – in several instalments. Today, Ivory Property has fallen to PN17 status.)

Anyway, this paragraph in the Edge story caught my attention:

[Tedy] Teow fled the country, resurfacing in Thailand, where he continued running the scheme until his arrest in July 2022. After a prolonged legal process, he was extradited to China in August 2024 to face charges of defrauding an estimated two million Chinese nationals of roughly RMB500 billion, or more than RM300 billion, cementing MBI’s place among the largest alleged Ponzi schemes ever uncovered.

RM300bn? Even if the investors’ losses were less than RM300bn, the amount involved was staggering and rival if not dwarf the sums involved in the 1MDB losses. The only difference is that these losses hit individuals whereas 1MDB hurt the national kitty.

This raises the question why no serious action was taken earlier to nip the MBI scandal in the bud. Weren’t the authorities aware of what was going on, given that MBI was operating in broad daylight in the heart of George Town?

Aliran welcomes the court verdict in the 1MDB case that found Najib Razak guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.3bn.

The verdict – along with another High Court decision on 22 December, turning down Najib’s bid for ‘house arrest’ in the SRC International case – is a major milestone in the fight against corruption in high places.

We note that this struggle for accountability was at the heart of the Reformasi movement and civil society’s Bersih protest rallies over the years.

As such, we are totally against any attempt at a “political reset” to wipe the slate clean for politicians implicated in high-level corruption. Let there be no double standards in the battle against corruption.

Let the 1MDB issue and all other high-level corruption cases be fairly adjudicated in the courts, with independent judges and prosecutors. The outcomes should be respected and upheld.

For this to happen, the independence of the judiciary must be safeguarded. In the selection of judges, amendments are needed to the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 to ensure that the appointments process itself is independent of the executive.

Prosecutors have to be independent of the attorney general, who at present is a government appointee and advisor. This separation of roles must be expedited.

Support the struggle to build a Malaysia based on Justice, Freedom, Solidarity:

Meanwhile, we call on the Attorney General’s Chambers to pursue all high-level corruption cases where those charged were granted a “discharge not amounting to acquittal”.

Aliran executive committee
26 December 2025

It looks like they would like to remove this restriction in the 2040 Penang structure plan. (The 76-metre restriction is still in place in the 2030 Penang Structure Plan, which remains in force.) The greed is just too much.

Instead of dabbling with the 2040 structure plan now, why not first focus on putting in place a Penang Island local plan? Imagine we still don’t have a local plan after all these years! A local plan governs in detail what is allowed and not allowed in our neighbourhoods – and we don’t have that yet.

This is the reaction from Sahabat Alam Malaysia:

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) menentang dengan sekeras-kerasnya sebarang kajian semula dasar semasa dalam Rancangan Struktur Negeri Pulau Pinang 2030, yang melarang sebarang pembangunan di cerun bukit melebihi 76 meter atau melebihi kecerunan cerun 25 darjah.

Kami berasa amat bimbang apabila mengetahui bahawa pihak negeri kini sedang mempertimbangkan perubahan kepada dasar ini sebagai persediaan bagi Rancangan Struktur Negeri Pulau Pinang 2040, dengan membenarkan kelonggaran peraturan ini untuk membolehkan pembangunan cerun bukit melebihi had 76 meter.

Ini akan menjadi satu kesilapan yang besar jika perubahan dasar seperti ini berlaku, terutamanya pada zaman yang semakin meningkat kesan perubahan iklim.

Dasar semasa telah dilaksanakan dengan tepat disebabkan oleh pengalaman tanah runtuh, dan kegagalan cerun yang berlaku pada masa lalu yang telah meragut nyawa dan merosakkan rumah dan harta benda di Pulau Pinang.

Kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang dan kerajaan tempatan mestilah meningkatkan daya tahan iklim dan bersedia menghadapi kesan perubahan iklim yang semakin meningkat dengan mengekalkan dan mengukuhkan dasar mengehadkan pembangunan cerun bukit, bukannya melemahkannya.

Apa yang berlaku di Hat Yai, Thailand, dan Aceh, Sumatera, baru-baru ini menunjukkan dengan jelas kerugian dan kerosakan yang dilihat akibat hujan lebat yang semakin kerap dan lebih teruk.

Malaysia juga tidak terlepas dan seharusnya meningkatkan daya tahan iklim kita, tetapi sebaliknya kita mengurangkan daya tahan kita dengan mengubah dasar yang baik dan kukuh mengenai pembangunan cerun bukit.

Kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang mestilah mengutamakan keselamatan orang ramai dan alam sekitar daripada tekanan daripada pemaju yang lebih mengutamakan keuntungan.

SAM akan memberikan maklum balas terhadap publisiti Laporan Tinjauan Rancangan Struktur 2040 yang sedang berjalan dan juga akan turut bekerjasama dengan kumpulan masyarakat sivil yang lain untuk meningkatkan kesedaran dalam kalangan rakyat Pulau Pinang untuk meningkatkan lagi bantahan terhadap cadangan perubahan yang sedang difikirkan oleh kerajaan negeri.

Kami mengulangi gesaan kami kepada kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang untuk tidak mengubah dasar semasa yang mengehadkan pembangunan cerun bukit. – SAM

Meenakshi Raman ialah presiden Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

This is your chance to be part of an open dialogue on the issues that matter most — from the environment and development to transport, heritage and housing.

Date: Sunday, 30 November

Time: 1.30pm – 6.00pm

Venue: MCKL (former Pykett Methodist Primary School), Lebuhraya Pykett, 10400 George Town, Penang

Your voice matters. Let’s shape Penang’s future together.

Register now: https://tinyurl.com/ybdrct62

Supported by a group of Penang-based NGOs

Imagine this: you are watching a political debate and one of the candidates has to spell out his own name because his rival cannot get it right.

“The name is Mamdani, M-A-M-D-A-N-I.” (This of course has been turned into a meme, complete with dance moves, that has swept across US social media.)

Mamdani. It almost sounds like Madani, that grand vision that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has touted with its six noble values of sustainability, compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity and trust. 

Yet, something is different. While Malaysia’s political leaders give us airy-fairy slogans and pie-in-the-sky visions, Zohran Mamdani has given New Yorkers something else – specific promises on issues that matter most to them. He had no memorable slogans for them like 1New York or Keluarga New York (New York Family).

Full article on Aliran website

In our assessment, the terms appear lopsided and raise serious concerns about their impact on Malaysia’s national interests, economic sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

We outline five critical issues that need to be addressed:

1. Concerns over asymmetric market access: Under the agreement, Malaysia provides tariff-free access for a range of goods, including automotive parts and machinery. The US has agreed to eliminate tariffs for about 12% of Malaysian exports, such as palm oil and rubber. But it maintains an average 19% tariff rate on other Malaysian exports. Developing economies require policy space to protect emerging sectors – a concern that remains valid despite these new exemptions.

2. Potential impact on resource sovereignty: The agreement includes a commitment by Malaysia not to impose quotas or bans on rare-earth or critical mineral exports to the US. This could reinforce a pattern where Malaysia acts primarily as a raw materials supplier to the US. There appears to be no clear reciprocal guarantees on technology transfer or domestic value-addition for those resources. The US would thereby retain high-value processing and technology development. We believe finite strategic resources require sunset clauses and domestic industry development guarantees. Rare earths extraction also requires strong environmental safeguards. These specific safeguards are not detailed in the publicly released summaries of the agreement.

3. Digital economy commitments: Malaysia commits to refrain from imposing digital-services taxes on US firms and to ensure data flows. We are not aware of any equivalent US commitments regarding Malaysia’s digital firms or regulatory goals. We are therefore concerned that this could undermine Malaysia’s ability to regulate its digital economy and to generate tax revenue from foreign platforms operating in the Malaysian market.

4. Geopolitical implications: The agreement commits Malaysia to “strengthening economic and national security cooperation” with the US. This raises key questions. How will this affect Malaysia’s relationship with China, which remains our largest trading partner? How does this square with Malaysia’s – and Asean’s – traditional neutrality?

5. Apparent one-sided regulatory concessions: The agreement contains extensive Malaysian commitments to remove non-tariff barriers, including accepting US motor vehicle standards and ‘streamlining’ import licences and halal requirements. US commitments to facilitate acceptance of Malaysian standards or remove its own barriers are less explicitly detailed. This regulatory asymmetry, based on available information, appears to favour American exporters.

We fear the nature of this agreement could resemble historical colonial patterns: developing nations surrender sovereignty, natural resources and policy flexibility to major powers in exchange for limited market access. Indeed, the office of the US trade representative states of the agreement with Malaysia: “Today’s announcement shows that America can defend its domestic production while obtaining expansive market access with our trading partners.”

Parliamentary scrutiny

As this agreement will fundamentally affect Malaysia’s economic sovereignty and geopolitical positioning for generations, Aliran calls for parliamentary oversight and approval before ratification.

We support the call by the parliamentary Select Committee on International Trade for it to examine this trade deal thoroughly.

The government should provide the complete agreement text and impact assessments. The select committee should hold hearings with all stakeholders, including independent economists, labour union representatives and civil society groups, to discern the impact on Malaysia.

The agreement requires safeguards such as sunset clauses on rare earth commitments and provisions to safeguard Malaysia’s interests in case of economic and environmental harm. It should also have clauses for renegotiation if global circumstances change, as well as periodic parliamentary reviews.

Parliament also has to debate several critical questions:

• Do such major trade concessions exceed executive authority?
• What are the safeguards for affected industries?
• How will our trade relationship with China and Asean be affected?
• Are the Malaysian commitments to buy Boeing commercial aircraft new or pre-existing? Isn’t Boeing profiting from its arms sales to Israel, which is responsible for the Gaza genocide?
• Why is Malaysia committing to buy up to $3.4bn annually in US liquefied natural gas through multi-year agreements with Petronas?
• Why do the terms appear to surrender resource sovereignty while the US maintains its tariff protections on many goods? What about tariffs on US services?

We disagree that this agreement does not require a parliamentary vote. This is no ordinary trade agreement, as it will have an impact for generations. It requires MPs, the people’s representatives, to ensure safeguards are in place to protect the public interest.

Crucially, no prime minister or cabinet should commit Malaysia’s sovereignty, natural resources and strategic positioning indefinitely without explicit parliamentary oversight, mandate and public consent.

If the agreement genuinely serves the long-term interests of the people of Malaysia, then it should be able to withstand transparent and rigorous parliamentary examination and debate.

Aliran executive committee
28 October 2025

Remember, many moons ago, the state granted this land for a pittance as it was originally zoned for recreational use for the people (horse racing).

But then, in the 2000s, during Barisan Nasional rule, some ‘wise guy’ surreptitiously rezoned this land as “mixed development”, making a huge unrealised revaluation profit for certain parties. What a loss to the state/public coffers/ordinary people!

This video by Andrew Han