Alwyn Lau | Opinion | Malay Mail

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has emerged as one of Malaysia’s top performers in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2025. — Picture via Facebook/Universiti Sains Malaysia

Malaysia / 13 h ago

USM hits global top 15, UM leaps to 25th as Malaysia’s universities make waves in sustainability rankings

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain at the Chinese New Year Op Selamat 23 appreciation ceremony at Persada Plus in Petaling Jaya February 4, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Malaysia / 13 h ago

With Razarudin set to retire, who are the frontrunners to succeed him as IGP?

Lankan Spices serves a small spread for lunch with dishes like (clockwise) spinach mixed with freshly grated coconut, brinjal, black mutton curry and Devilled chicken to eat with your plate of ‘ponni’ rice. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Eat-drink / 11 h ago

Brickfields’ Lankan Spices brings a taste of Sri Lanka with offerings like devilled chicken, fish ‘rotii’ and chicken cheese ‘kothu’

Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept. — AFP pic

World / 6 h ago

Iran strikes Tel Aviv with hypersonic missiles as Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’

Smoke rises from a fire, as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released June 17, 2025. — Reuters pic

Malaysia / 11 h ago

‘Leave by any available means’, Foreign Ministry urges Malaysians in Iran as conflict deepens

On June 12, the media reported that a female teacher and her eldest child died while her youngest child was seriously injured, believed to have been stabbed by a teenage boy who was also the victim’s second child at their home. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 7 h ago

Melaka teen charged with murdering mum and brother, injuring younger sibling in family tragedy

Pekan police chief Superintendent Mohd Zaidi Mat Zin said the crash, which occurred at about 10pm, involved a Proton Wira car carrying the family of five and a Mitsubishi Fuso lorry owned by Golden Green Farm. — Picture courtesy of police

Malaysia / 10 h ago

Crash in Kuantan kills couple, leaves their three children orphaned and in hospital

NFC executive chairman Datuk Mohamad Salleh Ismail at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex in this file picture dated November 9, 2022. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 7 h ago

Federal Court orders Public Bank to pay RM90m to NFCorp, Salleh over data breach

According to social media posts and comments, users claimed to have felt the tremors in several areas, including Chemor, Chepor and Tanah Hitam, at around 10.30am. — Picture by Farhan Najib

Malaysia / 7 h ago

Mystery boom rattles Chemor, Chepor and Tanah Hitam; Ipoh cops investigating

Wilmar Group is being investigated for alleged misconduct in obtaining palm oil export permits. — File picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Money / 11 h ago

Wilmar Group hands over US$725m as court security in Indonesia palm oil export scandal

K-pop agency ADOR wants to reunite with NewJeans ahead of the girl group’s third debut anniversary in July 2025. — Reuters pic

Showbiz / 5 h ago

‘Come home’, K-pop agency tells NewJeans after court rules in favour of ADOR, again

DAP leaders M Kulasegaran and Teresa Kok speaking to reporters after attending the funeral of former MIC president Datuk Seri G Palanivel at his home in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur June 18, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Malaysia / 8 h ago

Former MIC president Palanivel mourned as a statesman and advocate for education

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on June 17. — AFP pic

World / 9 h ago

Israel and Iran trade deadly strikes for fifth day as Trump demands Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’

Thai actor Prom Ratchapat Worasarn, 26, has been dogged by sex scandals, including coercing his female partners – some just teens – into having unprotected intercourse and abortions. — Pictures from Instagram/anotherboytj

Showbiz / 9 h ago

Thai actor Prom Ratchapat dumped by agency amid claims of sexual misconduct, unprotected sex and coercing abortions

Members of the public can reach the NSRC by dialling 997, which serves as the national emergency hotline for reporting scam-related incidents. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Malaysia / 9 h ago

Facebook scam costs hardware trader RM703,000, police investigating

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Alwyn Lau

Alwyn Lau

Bookworm. Contrarian. Proud Malaysian. Or thereabouts. Tweets at @alwyn_lau

Opinions

What if we treated schooling the way an open-hearted chef viewed his kitchen i.e. as a place where experimentation reigns, where various recipes and concoctions may be tried and tested, where success need not be narrowly defined and can, in fact, be a matter of ‘taste’ and individual desire? — Picture from pexels.com

2d ago

Is education like bomb disposal or like cooking?

A staff member arranges books at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2025 at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur May 25, 2025 — Picture by Raymond Manuel

04 Jun 2025

How reading physical books beats screen-reading

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-Min waves to fans as he carries the Europa League trophy. — AFP pic

26 May 2025

The end of Tottenham’s trophy drought

Scott Adams, the creator of

21 May 2025

How death gives life meaning

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There are still many areas immune to AI use. — AFP pic

09 May 2025

Has AI destroyed formal education?

The author suggests post-SPM students challenge themselves with something bold and different before or during college, diploma, or degree to add to their life experiences and skills set. — South_agency/Getty Images/ETX Studio pic

28 Apr 2025

A different ‘next’ after SPM?

Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen arrives at the 9th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles April 15, 2023. — Reuters pic

24 Apr 2025

Magnus Carlsen: Beyond #1

Kevin Kelly presenting a TED Talk. — Picture courtesy of kk.org

15 Apr 2025

Stumbling upon wisdom while stuck on an airplane

Shoppers browse through clothing items ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year in Kuala Lumpur. January 26, 2024.— Picture By Raymond Manuel

04 Apr 2025

Shrinkflation: When everything (except price) drops

Fast forward (pun intended) 2025, with 12 new RFID lanes added to the North-South Expressway in 2023 we should’ve been zooming past tolls; instead we’re perfecting the art of reversing at 2kph while praying the car behind doesn’t ram us. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

27 Mar 2025

Why don’t we just terminate the RFID lane at tolls?

The plot, storyline and concepts of ‘Ne Zha 2’ are literally out of this world and it’s like nothing Hollywood.

18 Mar 2025

‘Ne Zha 2’: A song of fire, ice, demons, dragons and… (I give up)

More than lectures, it’s about lifting students up, the columnist argues. — Pexels pic

15 Mar 2025

Lecturers as the unsung caregivers for their students

Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has implemented a 50 per cent increase in parking fees, effective this month. — Bernama pic

04 Mar 2025

Will raising parking costs lower traffic congestion?

A YouTube screenshot of a scene from the trailer of Korean movie ‘Dark Nuns’.

20 Feb 2025

Navigating the unseen? Korean shamanism and the real world

India’s grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju competing against China’s chess grandmaster Ding Liren in game 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore. — AFP pic

12 Feb 2025

Is freestyle chess improving or impairing the game?

Aunts and uncles, once held in awe for their godlike ‘mah jong’ prowess, are now more likely to be seen swiping through reels than strategising how to best exploit their panda and bamboo tiles. — Pexels.com pic

03 Feb 2025

Chinese New Year and our phones

A file photograph shows traffic on the KL Karak Expressway on February 9, 2024. — Picture by Hari Anggara.

27 Jan 2025

On snaking along the highway this Chinese New Year

With the Singapore MRT urinating cases, I’m sure I’m not the only one surprised at the fact that these incidents could happen at all. — Picture from Facebook/SMRT

18 Jan 2025

Singapore’s public urination cases and the broken windows theory

In between walking on a crane hanging from a skyscraper, fasting for four days and climbing up a 100-foot rope in the middle of Australia’s Blue Mountains, Chris Hemsworth shared his desire and strategies to avoid diseases and stay alive until a very old age. — Reuters pic

08 Jan 2025

From Chris Hemsworth to Bryan Johnson: The on-going quest for longevity

Magnus Carlsen is a five-time world chess champion, winning consecutive FIDE competitions from 2013 to 2021. — Picture from Instagram/Magnus Carlsen

30 Dec 2024

When jeans clash with chess

A screengrab of Donnie Yen in action in a scene from ‘The Prosecutor’.

27 Dec 2024

Donnie Yen’s ‘The Prosecutor’ triumphs

Lily Phillips is a 23-year-old OnlyFans creator who had sex with 100 men in 24 hours.

21 Dec 2024

Empowerment or exploitation? The Lily Phillips story

India's grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju (left) competes against China's chess grandmaster Ding Liren in game 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore on December 12, 2024. — AFP pic

13 Dec 2024

The 18-year-old 18th World Chess Champion

Primary school students return to school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Syed Idrus Chemor in Perak March 21, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Farhan Najibnn

03 May 2022

The (cautious) case against mask mandates

A man smokes outside an eatery in Petaling Jaya January 1, 2019. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Miera Zulyana

25 Apr 2022

Why a smoking ban probably won’t help

A man walks past a shuttered bar/night club with a u00e2u20acu02dcFor Rentu00e2u20acu2122 sign in Kuala Lumpur during the Covid 19 pandemic October 18, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

11 Apr 2022

So what really is the problem with nightclubs?

A customer counts how much change was given back after buying some groceries at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Saw Siow Feng

29 Mar 2022

Why are we worth more dead than alive?

21 Mar 2022

Three groups who welcome the RM10,000 EPF withdrawal

Form Five students get ready to sit for their SPM examination at SMK Seksyen 7 in Shah Alam March 2, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

15 Mar 2022

Should Malaysian students do a gap year?

Sekolah Kebangsaan Section 7 students on their first day back at school in Shah Alam July 22, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

28 Feb 2022

Could e-textbooks be the solution to heavy school bags?

Election Commission officials get the polling station at Dewan Badminton Kompleks Perumahan Polis Tabuan Jaya ready ahead of early voting in Kuching December 13, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

14 Feb 2022

Are Covid-19 cases being artificially boosted ahead of Johor polls?

The Lim clan having their reunion dinner at Lim Jetty, Weld Quay on January 31, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

07 Feb 2022

Playing ‘20 Questions’ at Chinese New Year

Rex Lee Kok Hong, 36, displays his angpow collection at his home in Sungai Dua February 13, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

31 Jan 2022

Chinese New Year and e-’ang pows’

27 Jan 2022

BAM should revoke Goh Jin Wei’s ban too

A general view of traffic on the Federal Highway in Kuala Lumpur June 1, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

24 Jan 2022

Alternative to holiday traffic jams

Students resume classes at Sekolah Kebangsaan Meru Klang in Klang January 10, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Bernama pic

17 Jan 2022

Why hasn’t ‘Pendidikan Moral’ been scrapped yet?

People receive their Covid-19 booster shot at the KL Gateway Mall in Kuala Lumpur January 5, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

10 Jan 2022

Boosters: Allow walk-ins at PPVs by disabled

People wait to receive their Covid-19 vaccines at the Covid-19 vaccination centre in the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Seri Kembangan, June 17, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

27 Dec 2021

Notes from a PPV volunteer

A general view of traffic on the Federal Highway in Kuala Lumpur June 1, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

20 Dec 2021

Three pointers on how to be safer behind the wheels

As the country slowly reopens, the temporary traffic respite will gradually come to an end. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Yusof Mat Isan

13 Dec 2021

So far, yet so near: Are you a super-commuter?

Choong has spent more than 30 years zipping around the world visiting archeological dig sites and even excavating in some. u00e2u20acu201d Picture via Facebook

07 Dec 2021

A conversation with Malaysia’s own Indiana Jones

The release of u00e2u20acu02dcJames Bond: No Time to Dieu00e2u20acu2122 for Malaysian cinemas has been from September 30 to November 25. u00e2u20acu201d Picture courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia

29 Nov 2021

James Bond: From fantasy to reality

Just IN

Lahad Datu Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Dzulfikhar Ali, said the joint operation carried out by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Sabah Forestry Department discovered that 2.02 hectares of land had been encroached upon. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

20 m ago

In Sabah, man caught logging, burning and farming in protected Lahad Datu area

EPF chief executive officer Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said that only a small proportion of EPF members currently meet the basic savings threshold, while over 58 per cent of working-age Malaysians are not contributing to any formal retirement scheme. — Bernama pic

35 m ago

Cashing out too soon: Lump sum withdrawals risky as Malaysians face longer lifespans, says EPF

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said without a commitment to lifelong learning through reading, the country cannot hope to compete globally or improve its command of language, knowledge and technology. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

41 m ago

Revive reading to rebuild the nation, says PM Anwar