Author: Dr Navin C Naidu

Allusions, illusions and delusions

In a world gone mad, only a lunatic is truly insane – Homer, Greek poet A government of men decided that it would be ideal to brand itself as a government of laws. That offered legitimacy. The word “law” made it glorious and noble. Everyone fell for it. That deception

America: The salad republic

I’d rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody. – Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President It is said that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated because he ended slavery which enraged the South. He was accused for having broken one of the four pillars of the economy when he

An emerging civilisation

Bracing for the emergence of a Malaysian civilisation is not a utopian pipedreamif we adroitly learn to ignore, prevent and outlaw racism, religious extremism, petty prejudices, and fools. Nagging distractions, insidious infractions and coming attractions jostle for attention. It is universally accepted that a great civilisation refers to a highly

Constitutional credibility, constrictions and corrections

WHETHER the Federal Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, is able to stand on its own right, while the Executive pits extreme political themes as schemes of government policies seems to excite only academic interest. Whether constitutional supremacy is a fact of law and life, in Malaysia, depends

Remembering the future

The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President Naysayers say it’s the beginning of the end. Optimists say it’s the end of the beginning. Realists say it has not even begun. These sentiments are in the context of where we are

Bitter, blunt and bold

In order to be able to think, you have to risk being offensive. – Jordan B. Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan B Peterson has brilliantly bequeathed a bitter, blunt and bold aphorism that should be useful for those safeguarding their precious rights, privileges and immunities that are riddled with unwelcome

Rabbit holes and rabid politics

Sliding down a rabbit hole is a breeze; but climbing back out is a major battle. – Kate Morton, Australian author The journey of political science, from the conversion of Roman Emperor Constantine, in 325 CE, the findings of Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Hobbes,

Psychological warfare

Using psychology to influence people and mentally subdue your enemies is a deep art. – Michael T. Stevens, American author A well-managed campaign to promote, perpetrate and institute fear, uncertainty and division ensures the lifespan of psychological warfare in every political cult. Socioeconomic policies to favour some communities, to marginalise

Distorted reality

The most dangerous untruths are truths slightly distorted. – Georg C. Lichtenberg, German physicist DISTORTED reality is an indispensable commodity for government to function. It usually begins with a hefty dose of half-truths. The next dosage comes as a well-oiled machine of deception designed to keep secrets using ‘national security’

Public against data unveiling (PADU) paused

The one recurring theme that envelopes PADU is whether the government undertook careful planning by conducting due diligence efforts as to the intent, content, extent, scope, scale, effect and impact of its operations. The answer to that is very obvious in that PADU was just thrust into our already cluttered