Friday, 20 March 2026

Author: Francis Paul Siah

Littering in Bukit Bintang: What a disgrace!

‘Clean for today, clean for tomorrow. Planet Earth isn’t a garbage can. Together we can stop litter’ An anti-littering slogan HOUSING and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and DBKL (Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur) have every reason to be deeply annoyed and disappointed by what they saw on the streets

The BIW issue: Why I stand with our healthcare workers

“We need a government that value human lives. Fix the hospitals and pay the doctors well. Respect health workers. End the excuses.“ – A quote from Nigeria LET me make an honest statement here: whenever there is a dispute between our public-sector health workers and the government, I am biased.

Thumbs down to a bloated Sabah Cabinet

“Government employees’ salaries and benefits cost billions, and being good stewards of taxpayer money, states should reduce the size of government.” – The Foundation for Government Accountability THE report titled “UMNO rep becomes 18th assistant minister in Sabah govt”, published on a news portal on Monday caught my attention. So

The dirty habits of ugly Malaysians

‘Bad habits are our enemies because they hinder us from being the person we want to be.’ Joyce Meyer, American author A few days ago, a friend sent me an interesting short article titled ‘A Lesson from Japan’, which I wish to share with readers. I think this is a

Be gracious in defeat… It’s only politics!

“Anyone can be a gracious winner; but being gracious after losing shows strength of character.” – Donald Lynn Frost, American banker IN this article, I will attempt to pick up the pieces of the just-concluded 17th Sabah election. Do not expect anything weighty – just the post-poll nitty-gritty that shouldn’t

Why Shafie Apdal deserves a second chance

“The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.” – John Lewis, US Representative I HAVE written four commentaries on the Sabah election so far in my column in two publications, and this will be my fifth and final

A desperate stampede for public office in Sabah

“Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous.” – Patrick Rothfuss, American author I WROTE in this column on 5 November that the coming Sabah election promises to be one of the most crowded and unpredictable contests in the state’s history. As expected, it

Rafizi’s Kesum restaurant deserves our support

“Food is art, and food is love. And we should show love and appreciation for those who cook it by eating it with relish.” – Mark Bittman, American author I’M quite familiar with the Pandan Indah area in Kuala Lumpur and I believe locating Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s first Kesum

Most crowded and unpredictable contests in Sabah

“The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.” – Adlai Stevenson 1, Ex-US Vice-President LET me be very honest. I thought I’m very familiar with Sabah politics, being in close contact with several notable politicians there and having written

Be responsible, settle your PTPTN loans

‘I had three jobs in college. The best day of my life was when I paid off my student loans, on my own.’ — Jessica Seinfeld, American author Imagine yourself as a successful and generous person who, years ago, established an educational foundation with one mission — to help needy