The Penang State government launched a Speakers’ Corner at the Esplanade on 4 May 2010.
It is available to the public on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
May 062010
2008 Media Statements
Jan 212009
The great thing about the results of the Kuala Trengganu by-election is that the old politics of the Barisan Nasional will no longer work. The past winning formula – money, media and machinery – could not woo the voters to throw in their support for the BN.
Dec 192008
Aliran is alarmed that the Barisan Nasional is in the final stages of negotiations that would allow Sime Darby to acquire a stake in the National Heart Institute (IJN). Since the negotiations are in the final stages, it would mean that the deal has been in progress for some time. But the public has been kept in the dark as though they have no interest in IJN.
Nov 082008
Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad of the Shah Alam High Court joins the ranks of the brave – who unfortunately are not many – in ruling that the detention of Raja Petra Kamarudin under the Internal Security Act was illegal and unconstitutional. His detention was procedurally flawed in that the minister (pic left) had failed to follow “proper procedure under Section 8 of the ISA to issue the detention order against Raja Petra.”
Nov 062008
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s comment that it is possible for anyone, regardless of race and religion, to be the nation’s leader, if the rakyat wanted it to happen sounds rather unconvincing. It even sounds ridiculous.
Nov 062008
Aliran applauds the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. It was a stunning victory that recorded a landslide majority. It was a victory that brought together ordinary Americans of different shades and faiths to elect the first Afro-American in a historic decision that clearly responded to Obama’s call: Time for change.
Nov 052008
Obama should realise that the War on Terror has been nothing more than a blanket excuse used by the governments of Southeast Asia to curry favour with Washington and to build a vast network of anti-terror centres, prisons, detention facilities and to further perpetuate antiquated colonial laws used to detain even more Asians, ostensibly to protect Americans and American foreign interests. No, Obama, we will not take seriously your claims to defend fundamental liberties unless and until you personally see to it that institutions such as the prison at Guantanamo Bay are shut down during your watch, writes Aliran member Farish Noor.
Nov 052008
Today, the structures of colonial rule persist with colonial era-inspired laws such as Malaysia’s Internal Security Act still in place; and the ruling elite of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries are likewise distanced from their own people. Like the colonial masters of the past, they view their own fellow citizens with incredulity, and fail to understand how plural and complex their societies really are, observes Aliran member Farish Noor.
Nov 042008
A row was sparked off by the nomination of a Chinese Malaysian woman – Low Siew Moi – as the head of a state institution linked to the economic management and development of the state of Selangor, the PKNS. Despite the fact that Low was selected on merit, some quarters chose to publicly disagree with her appointment on the grounds that the Malay-Muslims of the state would object to the appointment. But objection on what grounds, asks Aliran member Farish Noor.
Oct 182008
Aliran is alarmed that the BN government is totally ignoring the courts and resorting to the obnoxious ISA to terrorise concerned citizens. We have recently witnessed this worrying trend in the detention of Raja Petra, Tan Hoon Cheng and MP Teresa Kok under the indefensible ISA.