A RECENT report in a newspaper quoted the Education Minister as saying it was time to bring back quality into the education system. Although the revelation by Tan Sri Musa Mohamad that there was a host of problems with the system was not exactly letting the cat out of the bag, his candour at least…
“TOLERANCE is nonsense, slaughter (the) Christians,” read a banner at a recent demonstration in a neighbouring country, as reported by an international news agency. In a small town in Egypt too, inter-religious clashes between Muslims and Christians caused a number of deaths. Although many of us had hoped for a peaceful beginning to the new…
TODAY marks year 2000 on the Christian calendar. The beginning of the calendar coincides somewhat with the birth of Jesus Christ. The sacred texts of Islam and Christianity contain plenty of references to Jesus. For Christians, he is the hinge that opens the door of their faith. Through this door, he is to lead them…
AFTER a long wait it was announced last week that the National Pharmaceutical Blueprint was to be submitted to the Prime Minister before being launched. The blueprint prepared by the Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technology or Might is expected to chart the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the next century. Despite being as…
THE first day of this month was World AIDS Day. Throughout the month, activities will be organised to promote public awareness of AIDS and sensitivity towards those living with the disease. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a major threat to the health of millions of people worldwide. Sadly, there is little sign…
THE year 2000 AD is only 42 days away. Although Muslims should not be affected by the hoopla surrounding Y2K as they are not supposed to be number fetishists, the event is grand enough to demand a soul-searching exercise. When the world celebrated “Y1K”, Muslims were on top of the world. Ibn Sina was one…
DURING the four-year course in pharmacy in Egypt years ago, my colleagues and I were required to take a paper entitled Pharmacognosy. The subject actually deals with the science of natural resources especially plants and herbs, and their application in medicine. I remember spending long hours in the laboratory analysing and documenting the morphology of…
THE Petronas Malaysia Formula-1 Grand Prix came and went. Malaysians can take pride in the enormous success of the event. This is something no one can take away from us, not even the most captious critic, home-based or otherwise. Success was not solely in the form of the race itself, but also the many other…
WISMA Putra announced recently that after a hiatus of 26 years, the prestigious Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers would be back in Malaysia in June 2000. The meeting is timely considering the many and varied challenges facing members of the Organisation of Islamic Conference as they brace for the indelible tide of globalisation. In essence,…
THE recent disturbances at the National Mosque saw the re-emergence of the stone as a form of missile to attack law enforcement officers. This, in its own crude way, is a manifestation of the adage “you can take man out of the Stone Age but you cannot take the Stone Age out of man”. According…
