Rohan Javet Beg

Also really love James Chai's IG story to this effect. The man knows ball.

When you look at the amount of infighting that goes on amongst the Malay ruling class and their complete inability to work together, you suddenly understand how the British were able to colonize the Peninsula so easily

today i stumbled upon a cafe hidden among the bamboo groves after hiking the kawazu seven falls and i tried zenzai for the first time ever

#FMTOpinions It is axiomatic that Malay Rulers must fulfil their roles without undue interference, which could undermine constitutional duties, peace, and stability. Full Article: freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opini… (1/2)

#FMTNews PKR veep says the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan wants him to remain in the post. Full Article: freemalaysiatoday.com/category/natio…

Meanwhile, the Sanusi subplot:

"While digital third places do provide potential benefits such as facilitating bottom-up advocacy, they may not be able to replicate the social and psychological benefits of their physical counterparts." fulcrum.sg/aseanfocus/the…

The theory is wrong. As a person who covered the initial nuclear talks (under Obama) in Geneva, I can assure everyone that the Iranians never ever left the hotels (except to go to the Iranian UN Mission), and the luxury played no role in their desire to stay or leave. They're not coffee drinkers, and in many cases they would have Iranian food brought in, as continental cuisine is not exactly their preference. Islamabad is a closer flight, the top hotels are comparable to the Intercontinental in Geneva, and the food (and tea) is closer to their tastes. Chocolate is fine, but give them gaz or baghlava any day, which they can bring on the plane if they really want. (The Iranian embassy can also probably arrange better Persian food to be delivered in Pakistan than in Geneva.) Of course one would have to actually know something about Iranians--and especially the Iranians representing the Islamic Republic--to know all this. Promoting a war without knowing anything about Iran or Iranians (except the anti-regime Iranians in D.C.) is exactly how the US finds itself in a war it has difficulty extracting itself from in a half-way honorable way. (Of course beyond all that, the racist notion that a Pakistani city is a place you want to "leave quickly" while a Swiss one is where you enjoy hanging out is beyond impolitic.)

This thin-skinned narcissist cannot handle any criticism at all.

KL on a Saturday afternoon. Rain in the air. Sirens nearby. Sogo behind us. Dataran Merdeka somewhere ahead, blocked by barricades, police lines, and the familiar instruction to behave. People still came. Not the clean, choreographed crowd politicians like to put on posters. Not the kind with matching caps, free food, and attendance treated like a KPI. Just ordinary Malaysians. Wet shirts. Tired faces. Hoarse voices. Some came in slippers. Some came alone. Some stood quietly at the side, watching first, before slowly moving closer. They had better things to do on a Saturday. But they came because some things cannot be outsourced to press statements, closed-door meetings, and carefully worded announcements. That morning, Azam Baki’s replacement had already been announced. That was supposed to settle it. Change the nameplate. Thank you for your service. Move along. Nothing to see here. But people understood what was being done. It was never just about one man leaving office. Power must be investigated when power is accused. Whether institutions serve the public, or protect their own. Whether corruption can be made to disappear behind procedure, retirement dates, and official language. Then came the fireworks. A burst of noise. Panic for a few seconds. People looking around, trying to understand what had just happened. For a moment, it almost worked. The story nearly became about disorder instead of accountability. But the crowd stayed. And maybe that was the point. Not everyone came. Not enough came. Maybe some were scared. Maybe some were tired. Maybe some had simply stopped believing that standing in the rain could change anything. Fair enough. Malaysia does that to people. It teaches you to shrug. To scroll. To say “biasalah”. To protect your own peace because the system feels too big, too old, too rigged. But on that Saturday, a few still came. They stood there, wet and tired, and said: no, not this time. Tangkap Azam Baki was never just a chant. It was a reminder. Changing the face is easy. Changing the system is where the real fight begins.

“Malaysia negara demokrasi” tapi rakyat tak boleh duduk di TAMAN AWAM untuk kutip tandatangan petisyen? Authorities were called and asked Roshinee for a PERMIT. FOR WHAT? It is not a demonstration which also does not require PERMIT but only a NOTICE.

🧵 VANISHING CULTURE is out now 📚 We tend to think the internet is permanent, but this book starts with a simple reality: our digital record is far more fragile than we think 🕳️ 📖 Download & read: archive.org/details/vanish… 🛒 Purchase in print: betterworldbooks.com/product/detail… #VanishingCulture #DigitalMemory #InternetArchive

Back then, no one smiled for photographs. That changed when a pig ran in front of the camera. (1927)

@AsiaAnalyst47 Of course, if your supporters are also disillusioned. Different story.

@AsiaAnalyst47 IMO, parties with declining popularity like UMNO are banking on prevailing voter apathy. If you can't increase your share of the voter base, decrease the size of your opponent's at the ballot box. As long as your own supporters remain mobilized, you can win.

I think we're missing a larger threat regarding the N9 crisis. That a lot of frustrated voters, utterly sickened by the sheer selfishness of their ruling class (not just N9, but Perlis, Azam Baki, Rafizi, etc), may opt out of participating in Malaysian democracy altogether

Whatever it is, it is genuinely fascinating to consider this precedent where an elected Menteri Besar who's apparently lost support seeks refuge with an elected Ruler who's apparently lost support

Btw, regardless of who wins in a snap election, the matter of who should be Yamtuan Besar must be left to the palace. Be really funny for the undangs if either UMNO or PN wins and they just wash their hands off the succession crisis. Lmao.

Everyone is operating under the assumption that the other is terribly unpopular. So why not just test the theory once and for all.

Politicking aside, calling for a snap election is the most democratic move here. The voters have a right to decide who governs them. If PH loses decisively, back to the drawing board to earn back public confidence. If UMNO loses decisively, good riddance.

A friend who was in the highest office when Sheraton Move happened told me his contacts who are still in Putrajaya today say it felt like a déjà vu. “No one is trusting each other at the moment.”