Author: Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah

What’s in the name? Everything, so it seems

The Kelabit tribe of Borneo has a unique tradition relating to names. A Kelabit could have at least three names in his or her lifetime. Yes, the Kelabits do change their names to mark each significant stage in their life, namely a given name at birth, a new name taken

Addressing food security in challenging times

When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, “Now is that political, or social?” He said, “I feed you.” Because the good news to a hungry person is bread. — Desmond Tutu I am sure many would have heard of the mid-17th century proverb which says that “a hungry man is

Marine pollution: In search of a solution

When we were in school, we learnt that there is more water in the world than there is land mass. In fact, about 2/3 of the earth’s surface is covered with water of oceans and seas. Growing up in the middle of Borneo, the world’s third largest island, I never

The crisis of Malaysian palm oil and rubber gloves exports to the US

The recent developments affecting the palm oil and rubber gloves exports to the United States of America are a real cause of concern. In particular, the US import bans technically known as Withholding Release Orders (WROs) imposed on Sime Darby Plantation and FGV Holdings along with the EU’s anti-palm oil

Extinction threat: A call to action on existence

If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the Universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow, happiness lies ahead. — A Buddhist Proverb The dateline was 25 April, 2019, and we were transiting London on the way home to Kuala Lumpur after a business

COMMUNITY LIVING: A VILLAGE UPBRINGING

We are now living in a truly global village. With the internet and digital revolution that has virtually taken over the whole world, everyone is connected to each other like never before. Yes, I’ll come back to that word later, virtual and virtually! Perhaps, it’s a natural and logical progression

My Davos experience

This place in Switzerland called Davos is a breathtakingly beautiful ski resort in winter and is the venue for the annual gathering of the elites of the world in late January of each year. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January since

The Gordian Knot in search of an Alexander

Turn him to any cause of policy,The Gordian Knot of it he will unloose, Familiar as his garter. — Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 1 Scene 1. 45–47 THE survival issue of our times in not the pandemic that is currently enveloping most of the world and causing untold miseries and

A motherland is for all

Recently, I watched the movie entitled ‘Saladin’, the Egyptian version of the story about the fall of Jerusalem from the hands of the Crusaders to the Muslims, a story that was apparently based on some actual and historical context. I was drawn to what the protagonist in the movie by

The lost art of conversation

With the proliferation and exponential growth of the technology of communications that we are witnessing today, virtually everyone could have access to limitless information which is so easily available. However, the tremendous choices dished out by current mass media of print, radio, television, online internet news, social media, etc present