Global Voices

English

The world is talking, are you listening?

Malaysia

Malaysian politician Lim Kit Siang is laments the fact that Malaysian universities are failing to make Malaysian universities are missing from most listings of notable universities in the world.

Fiji

Intlligentsiya blog is reporting that Fijian Military has released Fiji Daily Post's general manager Mesake Koroi. The blog says “Koroi was taken by soldiers to Queen Elizabeth Barracks yesterday morning after a letter was published in the newspaper yesterday titled ‘The Great Conspiracy' which “alleged and named conspirators” in the December 5 coup.”

Thailand

Steve Suphan translates a Thai newspaper story that talks about Thailand's culture minister offended by “small group of Rajaphat University students clad in sexy short skirts and tight top shirts, smoking cigarettes and chatting to black male tourists at Wat Pho”.

Malaysia

Traveling on a budget and still want to try great food, Bunnywunny recommends the Malaysian city of Ipoh. The blogger has pictures to prove her point.

Thailand

In a post titled Chinatown with Suthon, Austin Bush visits the interesting eating places in Bangkok's Chinatown. Suthon Sukphisit writes a weekly food column in Bangkok Post newspaper.

Singapore

TinkerTailor spots an ice hockey game in a Singapore skating rink that featured western Singapore expats playing against western expats from Thailand.

Syria

Whether it's in Syria or Canada, buses will always be a pain as Canada-based Syrian blogger Omar writes.

“we're standing on the sidewalk waiting for the bus… only the bus was already there, but the freakin' driver has left it to go out for a smoke.
so you're standing there, feeling your jeans slowly becoming as cold as a steel plate.”

Pakistan

chapati mystery on the perception of Jinnah in the academic and state circles through the years. “Since The General’s ascension, the “Heroes of Pakistan” focus has shifted towards the more brazenly militant ones and the earlier generation’s focus on Jinnah and Iqbal has softened considerably. Just recently, the religious party Jamaat Ulama-i Islam [JUI] decided that Jinnah was no freedom fighter, because “he did nothing for Islam and Pakistan, made no sacrifice and never went to jail”. Such a public stance would have been un-heard of, at any previous time.”

Nepal

United We Blog! on the national flag in Nepal. “Our new democratic national flag must be able to embrace our diverse ethnicity, culture, religions, gender, and inhabitance of different geographical regions with the promise to guarantee our civil liberty and human rights; with the federal democratic electoral system for governing our constituents by the elected representatives from each constituent residence.”

Nepal

Democracy For Nepal has a list of “to do”s to accelerate growth and development in Nepal. “Focus on the information/telecommunications infrastructure more than on the physical infrastructure. Bathe the country with FM technology, the internet for the masses. Encourage the private sector to do most of it. Offer 10 years of schooling through the air waves: evening school perhaps. Target adults and children both. This makes illiteracy kind of irrelevant.”