Author: Suhaida Sahiman

Governance Crossroads

Political ideologies are at a crossroads. Those who favour democracy for the ability to speak freely nevertheless think that its present practice is corrupt and unsustainable. They see a decline of both commercial and personal values and consign democracy to the political dustbin. Those who prefer autocratic management also think it is corrupt – and…
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Unrequited Love

Love that is not returned or rewardedRequested by a reader The assumption that, more than anything else, we all want to be loved is wrong. We are right, however, to say that those who receive love early in life are usually better able to give it when they grow up. Love is an interesting mixture…
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WFH – The Vital Signs

To regard Working From Home as a largely geographical question is like saying where you work is irrelevant. Environment is the setting that drives our mood, ignites the sparks in our brain and powers our creativity. As actor Peter Ustinov said “Once we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our…
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Stay home, Nancy

They say it’s because she needs “a legacy”. If so, and if she decides to visit Taiwan, I fear her legacy may be traumatic, and possibly final. Don’t get me wrong. I love Taiwan and the ebullience and enthusiasm of the Taiwanese. After I had built a factory in Changhua County in the 1980s they…
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What you mean for Biden

Half America, in round figures, voted for D Trump. Whatever else you call him – and we do call him many things – Democratic is not what comes immediately to mind. The millions of votes cast in his favour are probably not too worried about what Democracy means. What, actually, does it mean? A vote…
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Beware how you advise

Politicians almost always clash with strong-willed advisors who threaten to become the story at the expense of their masters. So the departure of Dom Cummings from Downing Street was hardly a surprise – except, perhaps, for the method of his leaving. To carry your own box of desk detritus out through the front door of…
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Beware Originalism

In the context of United States law, originalism is a concept regarding the interpretation of the Constitution that asserts that all statements in the constitution must be interpreted based on the original understanding “at the time it was adopted”. Wikipedia Trump may be nearly gone but Trumpism isn’t. Half the voters in the United States…
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The Collateral Poor

I agree with Jack Ma. Not necessarily about the China banks – I don’t know enough about them to have a view. But when he says that the world needs “bold new players that can extend credit to the collateral poor”, I think he is right. Governments dish out money liberally to prop up their…
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What diversity means

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, continues her striking leadership by appointing two Opposition Party Members as Ministers in her new government. She also has a Maori as Foreign Minister and many gays in prominent jobs. While we have all been talking about diversity, Ms Ardern has done it. I congratulate her and those colleagues…
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A rounded life

A very wise boss once said to me: “I have just appointed you to a demanding job. It will take a lot of your time but I don’t want you to become obsessed with it. You will do this job best if you are a rounded person, someone who sees all aspects of life, who…
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