I am sad to see the piece by Farish A Noor that was his last article for malaysiakini, both because I found the articles informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and because of the clear sense of futility he describes.

I read his work not because I either agreed or disagreed, but because he showed me his - as he calls it - Malay, male, Muslim majority approach to the world, so I learned a great deal. His pieces edified me considerably about many facets of life and politics in Malaysia when other sources were not so able to make a cogent and non-bombastic presentation, both in tracing the path to the present and in placing all the parts of the present into a coherent picture. I will miss his commentary.

If silence means consent, then speaking when o­ne does not consent is the most powerful tool that exists. It is my hope that, with some time away from the routine, he will find a new energy to resume his writing, and desire anew to influence the process because of his willingness to observe
and comment. He does not seem a man who could fade away and remain true to himself.