NEWS of the death of the 28th Lim Lian Geok Spirit Award (2015) winner Tan Choo Joo came as a shock to the nation given his momentous contribution towards the development of Chinese language education in this country, in particular the sterling achievements made by Chung Hwa Independent High School in Kelantan, which couldn't have come this far if not for this man.

SCROLLING through my phone on the hotel bed first thing in the morning, I was shocked—and inevitably perturbed—by headlines on missiles dashing above the Middle East sky, as the United States and Israel joined hands to strike Iran.

When I started penning this article, I was aboard the flight to Casablanca, the city that has captured the hearts of many over the decades, including me, thanks to the 1942 cinematographic Casablanca was made famous by a love triangle story of a film set in the city during the Second World War, when massive numbers of European refugees fleeing Nazi persecution thronged to this North African city in hope of securing travel passes to the US.

As the Jalur Gemilang gaffe now reaches its first full month, its follow-up developments couldn't have been more obvious!

Around noon on Feb 2, two Malay neighbours visited me with their families, joining us in CNY celebration, as they did in the past.

The six state elections have drawn to a close, but the political tussle between rival camps is still very much evident. People have their own interpretations as to whether the so-called “green wave” has ebbed, or how “green wave” should be defined in the first place.

It is important we realise and appreciate our own strengths and not be carried away by blind pursuit of web traffic figures at the expense of quality of content.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has concluded his first official visit to China and is now back in Malaysia. Nevertheless, news reports continue to flood the local media, attesting to the humongous impact of his China trip.

THE weather in recent weeks has been downright disgusting, with dark clouds hovering above most of the time and downpours soaking up much of the country, in particular Johor and the East Coast states.

NOW that the dust has finally settled on the 15th General Election, it is time for the unity government to start working.

Many people are asking who will be the kingmakers in the coming 15th General Election (GE15). Very obviously the answer lies to the “east.”