May 9, 2019
"There's a new disease. It's spreading fast. It's called BBM". Abang Zaki (not his real name) lights a kretek (clove) cigarette and inhales deeply. "Nobody knows how it got its name or what causes it. It dries out the stalks of the padi. After that, you can't use it." Abang Zaki is a burly 43 years old. His skin is tanned and leathery. He's been a rice farmer all his life, cultivating a three-acre plot in Selangor's Sekinchan region.
May 9, 2019
There's a brief snap – the sound of a hammer hitting a nail: metallic but light. A man – his limbs are bound to a life-sized cross – winces as the metal pierces the palm of his hands. There is no blood. Another man, dressed as a Roman soldier, holds the hammer. It’s Good Friday, April 19, and Team Ceritalah is in Pampanga, two hours to the north-west of the Philippine capital of Manila. This is a rich agricultural country and the heart of Luzon island. For Christians, and especially Catholics, Holy Week – commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – is the high point of the religious calendar.
May 7, 2019
Whether in or out of government, Umno’s Wanita wing is the backbone of the party. Their door-to-door canvassing operation is second to none and is one of the main reasons why the party was so dominant over the decades. It ensured Umno was always connected with the ground. While it couldn’t stop the defeat of 2018, the Wanita operation’s enduring strength was apparent during the party’s recent by-election wins over Pakatan Harapan. The women who work in its ranks are the hardcore: they pour their heart and soul into the party.
May 7, 2019
Team Ceritalah first met Mala, a 50-year-old resident of the Kota Damansara PPR (government-built, low-cost flats) exactly one year ago. She was – and still is – pragmatic, proactive and positive. While there’s still some of her fiery persona left, she seems slightly more fatigued and exasperated nowadays: “Things are okay, my grandkids are my strength.