Do read my new column on the Malay Mail, ‘Sexual dynamics of looking‘, published on 26th June 2014, in which I talk about what it means when women are told not to look at men.
Author: Angry Malay Woman
I like plants.
What does a city for women look like?
How does a woman walk in a city in the daytime and at night? Does she walk head held up high? Does she think her hair is showing through her headscarf, her knee-length skirt too short? Will that be commented on by someone on the street? Does she walk under what Shilpa Phadke calls the… Continue reading What does a city for women look like?
The finishing line
Of course I’ve always known that I’ll get to the finishing line sooner or later. But the actual experience of being so near it, half-running/crawling towards it, and overwhelmed by feelings of euphoria and total disbelief, exceeds the capacity of words and description. I submit my PhD thesis on the 27th of June 2014. I… Continue reading The finishing line
A Malaysian scholar remembers Stuart Hall
First published in my Malay Mail column on 27th February 2014: A great intellectual died on February 10, 2014. His name was Stuart Hall, dubbed the “godfather of multiculturalism.” As the tributes by academics made up of peers and admirers alike came flooding in, I thought about the impact of Hall’s work concerning identity and… Continue reading A Malaysian scholar remembers Stuart Hall
Men: the true voice of feminism
First published on The Malay Mail on 7th February 2014. When you think about it, most rights have been won by women in Malaysia and all citizens are rendered equal before the Federal Constitution. Malaysian women didn’t even have to fight for the vote. Technically, men and women are almost equal. Needless to say, the… Continue reading Men: the true voice of feminism
Scholarship on the scrap heap of an ailing higher education
First published in The Malay Mail on 29th January 2014. As someone in the business of reading, writing, and reviewing academic articles, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Writing academic articles is not easy and it rarely gets any easier after years, even decades (so I’m told) in academia. So when… Continue reading Scholarship on the scrap heap of an ailing higher education
In supermodernity, is the subaltern a cyborg?
First published in The State on 20th January 2014. When I lived in South Jakarta, my initial access to the internet was in the nearby warnet, a portmanteau word composed of ‘warung’ (cafe or stall) and internet. The warnet was tiny and had no chairs. Planks of wood were used as benches for a dozen… Continue reading In supermodernity, is the subaltern a cyborg?
Why freedom of the press matters
First published on The Malay Mail on 16th January 2014. The Red Pencil protest on January 4 is more than a political struggle against repressive state legislature led by journalists and activists. It is about the basic right to information to be enjoyed by all and therefore it would be imperative to appreciate where the… Continue reading Why freedom of the press matters
My 5 cultural highlights of 2013
First published in The State on 2nd January 2014 1. Exhibition of the year. Traces: Ana Mendieta Retrospective at the Hayward Gallery, 24th September – 15 December 2013. When Cuban artist Ana Mendieta fell to her death from her New York City apartment in 1985, it might seem as if it had eclipsed her career.… Continue reading My 5 cultural highlights of 2013
Towards a Viridian feminist future
This piece is part of the 5 year Viridian retrospective organised by Tim Maly, published in The State on 13 December 2013: Viridian Design was an avant-garde bright green design movement engineered by Bruce Sterling and intended to address climate change. It ran from 1998-2008. Five years later, we reflect. The vision of a Viridian… Continue reading Towards a Viridian feminist future
Alicia Izharuddin 