In the past, sadistic ragging at varsities was considered a passage of rite into adulthood. Today, however, there is nothing adult about children as young as nine brutally bullying their schoolmates.

Times are tough, jobs are hard to come by and more and more are flooding the job market as companies fold and lay off staff. For Malaysians, it’s time to wake up and realise this means hard, even dirty, work.

There is a loud battle going on in Penang about the Thaipusam chariot procession. There are claims of casteism, of disrespect and of exclusivity. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the money.

The government’s dual language programme has been caught in a feud between opposing sides. It’s a strange argument between those who feel we should learn more and those who say we must learn less.

Development is often a good thing and change is constant. But as hills are cleared, trees felled and beaches threatened, the island of Penang may be in for just too much of a good thing.

Coming into the new year, there have been some depressing stories of hate – and bigotry. We really need to put some effort into becoming better – better human beings, that is.

It’s not been a year to shout about with a litany of woes plaguing the country and much of the world. But as 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to count our blessings and hope for better times ahead.

As Malaysians wait for the annual monsoon rains and floods to hit the country anytime soon, there are some very good lessons to be learnt from the flood that ravaged the south Indian city of Chennai.

The national language is the glue that binds us as Malaysians. But mastering English is what will give us the tools we need to take on the world as it shrinks into a global village.

Kabali, the don of dons, is in town. And there’s much news about his activities and his amazing humility. But there are bigger real-life gangster stories that are being largely ignored.

The movement against vaccination is largely fuelled by the belief that pharmaceuticals are just in it for the money. But there is a need to worry about the health of the people, too.

In a diverse nation, we need a diverse education system. The goals and destinations remain the same but the approach and routes have to differ according to the needs of the students so that they do not get disillusioned.