Author: Francis Paul Siah

Olympians must endure criticisms like champions too

‘The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.’ – Norman Vincent Peale, American author As the Paris Olympics came to a close on August 11, let me review Malaysia’s performance at the 2024 Games. This serves as a follow-up

The elusive Olympic gold

To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer When will Malaysia ever win an Olympic gold medal – the elusive first gold? No one knows. However, if we are still depending on badminton to get the gold,

Madani partners want a strong Umno

There is at least one thing worse than fighting with allies – and that is to fight without them. – Sir Winston Churchill, British wartime PM Let me begin by saying that I earnestly feel that I have to tell Umno people the honest truth. “Your party is the weakest

Stop dreaming about elections

One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician’s objective. Election and power are. — Cal Thomas, American writer Why? Our last general election (GE15) was barely two years ago, in November 2022. The unity government headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister

Political violence shakes America again

‘I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose votes.’ – Ex-US President Donald Trump Last Saturday, July 13, was a day that sent shockwaves through America and possibly the rest of the world. Political violence once again reared its ugly head in

Betraying the public trust

Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government. – Milton Friedman, American economist Every time the Auditor General’s Report is published, many of us would be gasping in disbelief at the rampant abuse of public funds in our government agencies. Sadly,

The squabbles continue in Sabah Umno

‘Negotiating isn’t about getting what you want or giving in to what the other party wants. It’s about having both parties walk away satisfied.’ – John Rampton, American entrepreneur Sabah Umno is not what it used to be. The party’s good times read – days of power and dominance, are

Questions abound from the RM24.2m bank heist

In banking or insurance, trust is the only thing you have to sell. – Patrick Dixon, American author I must admit that I have never grown tired of watching bank robbery movies. They have been my favourite since I was young, and even today, I am willing to spend two

Amendments to the Child Act 2001 crucial

“Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the dark-ness of the soul.“ Dave Pelzer, American author IN an article in Malaysiakini in March this year, I wrote about the increasing number of sexual crimes against children. I had quoted Professor Rozhan Othman’s March 17

We all need a roof over our head

Owning a home is a keystone of wealth – both financial affluence and emotional security. Let me suggest that you pause for a moment and imagine you are homeless. How would you feel, how do you survive and the ultimate question – will your desperate situation drive you to contemplate