What is truly a game-changer is the formation of a shadow front bench. Yesterday, Pakatan announced that it had assigned MPs from each of its component parties to shadow all of the 25 ministries in the Cabinet. For once, someone in the opposition will be responsible for delving into the particulars of policymaking.

By John Lee, The Malaysian Insider

Riding to power on the momentum created by the Hindu Rights Action Force, the DAP has suddenly found itself on the receiving end of the group’s wrath.

COMMENT BY BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, THE STAR

By Zubaidah Abu Bakar, NST

Has the opposition coalition lost its lustre? Or has political fatigue set in because there's just too much politicking and squabbling among Pakatan components? It might seem so.

Praba Ganesan, The Malaysian Insider

No two persons would agree on most things, with some of those contentions separated by a values abyss. It would seem on the face of it that resolutions for those fundamental contentions would be improbable, if not impossible.

James Chin, The Malaysian Insider

I’m sure you all have heard of this racist joke: what do you get when you have two Indian lawyers? The answer is: three law firms — one each and the third is the partnership. The joke is to convey the public perception that Indians are fine lawyers and just love to argue.

Chinese newspapers have their own unique missions as well as principles of their belief. They do not do things with the narrow objective of advancing their race-related interests. Instead, they have acted with rights of individuals, social progress as well as national development in mind.

By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily

The doctrine of separation of powers has a mixed record, and a richness and a complexity that defies easy description.

By SHAD SALEEM FARUQI, The Star

My fear now is that the Erdogans will wilt for fear of earning the label of “tidak wala’”. The ten MPs who signed the statement protesting against the unity government have taken a very bold step to speak up. Nevertheless, the immediate response from PAS’ top brass to halt all discussions about unity government made it difficult for the Erdogans to continue their reform agenda, if they ever had one, without being seen as the enemies within. Even now the Erdogans are beginning to go quiet.

Wan Saiful Wan Jan, The Malaysian Insider

Pokoknya dan tegasnya, konsep Kerajaan Perpaduan adalah satu pemerintahan yang akan menggembleng seluruh parti-parti politik dalam Barisan Nasional dan Pakatan Rakyat untuk menangani krisis yang dihadapi negara sehingga diharapkan dapat ditangani bahaya-bencana kebrentakan kemelut ini.

Oleh Dzulkifli Ahmad, The Malaysian Insider

When the law is utterly unjust, reducing the period of detention from 60 days to 28 days does not remove the evilness of such a law. ISA is not opposed because it detains a person for 60 days or 28 days.

Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, The Malaysian Insider

By R. Nadeswaran (The Sun)

"A JOURNALIST will always protect his kind," is the common remark we usually get when we attempt to defend our professions from friends and foes who disagree with what we write or do. "You guys will never let each other down, however wrong you are," is another often-repeated claim. I take pride in stating that if I have made a mistake, I will apologise and have done so before.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz’s statement that the doctrine of separation of powers is alive and kicking in the country ought to be taken with a pinch of salt.

By Thomas Soon (The Edge)

By Sim Kwang Yang (Malaysian Mirror)

KUALA LUMPUR - We were told recently that the Dewan Rakyat had problems getting quorum again. The bell had to be rung to entice ministers and MPs from the corridors and the café to go back to the chamber to make up the numbers.

By Dr Farish A Noor
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

THE historian's lament is that he or she is often witness to mistakes of the past, and yet is unable to prevent them from recurring. In the end, the historian is cursed with the Cassandra complex and accused of being a tiresome doomsayer.

By Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 29 — There are reports of a supposed tussle of wills between the prime minister and the board of Petronas over his choice of a non-executive, independent director for the board. I find the way this discussion is being framed in the press and on the blogs a little puzzling.