Ustaz Wan Ji Wan Husin is a rare religious preacher in Malaysia, working to reach out to people across ethnic and religious lines. But his activities as a progressive religious preacher in a largely conservative system means he’s run up against resistance and state-led repercussions more than once.
In the 19th century, European colonial powers routinely tried to make sense of their colonial subjects by classifying them according to “race”. In British Malaya, the most overt tool in this exercise was the census.
Over the past decade, Singapore’s LGBT rights rally Pink Dot evolved from fluffy picnic gathering into a protest movement (albeit with Singaporean characteristics). But is this enough to bring change in a country dominated by a political party unwilling to budge?
A recording of a conversation between sociologist and author of This Is What Inequality Looks Like, Teo You Yenn, and New Naratif's Editor-in-Chief, Kirsten Han, about their writing process, and what it's like to do the work they do in Singapore.
Ustaz Wan Ji Wan Husin adalah seorang ustaz yang mempunyai pendekatan yang boleh dikatakan agak unik di Malaysia atas usahanya untuk berdialog dengan semua lapisan masyarakat, termasuk orang bukan Muslim. Tetapi kegiatannya sebagai seorang ustaz yang progresif dalam sistem yang konservatif juga bermakna bahawa beliau sering mendapat tentangan daripada sesetengah pihak dan juga pihak berkuasa.
Pink Dot, Singapore’s annual LGBT rights rally, began in 2009. Aware of sociopolitical concerns, the organisers proceeded carefully. The choices they’ve made highlight the tough balance between pushing boundaries and “living to fight another day”.
Even if the People’s Action Party proves less able to manage and contain conflict under this new phase in Singapore’s political economy, its diminished ideological hegemony will not necessarily translate into diminished political domination by the PAP.
According to the People’s Action Party’s moral ideology of accountability, personal behaviour is seen as core to the critique of a public official’s performance. But two examples highlight growing questions about this line of thinking.
Singapore’s People’s Action Party has long opposed “Western welfarism”, preferring to emphasise self-reliance. However, this core ideology has been challenged in recent years as concerns have mounted over the cost of living, inflation, and the adequacy of Singaporeans’ retirement funds.
Part one of a series of four articles on capitalism, inequality and ideology in Singapore. With widening inequalities and issues with increasing productivity for economic growth, Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party has sought to make policy adjustments—such as boosting healthcare subsidies and bringing in housing reform—to address its citizens’ concerns. But over the past decade, there’s been an increase in questioning of the party’s core ideologies.
The remains of a land rights activist who went missing in 2014 has brought up the issue of torture and enforced disappearances in Thailand. But civil society groups fear little action is being taken on a bill that would recognise enforced disappearance as a criminal offence.
Keterasingan daripada budaya dan bahasa sendiri, benci-diri, dan pandang-rendah terhadap saudara-mara yang kurang berada semua gejala keadaan yang melanda elit Melayu Singapura. Apakah sejarah yang membentuk pola pemikiran ini? Adakah ‘Melayu maju’ benar-benar bebas daripada diskriminasi dan peminggiran? Artikel terbitan Rice Media kelmarin ialah peluang baik untuk kita membedah kondisi lapisan masyarakat Melayu Singapura yang berada.
