It’s getting harder and harder for many average Malaysians to cope with the rising cost of living. Many are waist deep in debt due to the rising inflation without corresponding increase in salaries. As a result, many are forced to take loans from banks or even ah longs to cover their monthly expenses which would only leave us even deeper in debt. This vicious cycle makes it almost impossible to set aside some money for savings.

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."
- Pablo Picasso

Malaysian Digest caught up with outspoken student activist Adam Adli to check up on what his life has been like since the flag-lowering incident.

Malaysian Digest caught up with Deputy Higher Education Ministry and Temerloh MP Datuk Saifudddin Abdullah to check out on how he feels about the recent rise in student demonstrations and how he, his ministry and Umno is taking this phenomenon.

Civil servant Ida (not her full name) was about to leave home for work when she received a jolt after coming out from her house one early morning recently. Rubbish and other domestic waste were seen strewn about in front of her house and that of her immediate neighbors.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim began a tour on Jan 3, a week before his sodomy trial verdict, in a series ofefforts analysts believe calculated to convince the public that he is innocent.

Just walk or drive along the roads in Kuala Lumpur and you will soon realize that the buses are among major air polluters. The black smoke spewing from the exhaust pipes in the rear, and the racket caused by noisy engines clearly indicate the buses here are neither an environmentally friendly nor a people-friendly urban transport system.

Welcome Jan 1, 2012, the start of the new year and the date where the Competition Act 2010 comes into effect to foster healthy competition among businesses and promote investor confidence in Malaysia. Malaysia is the fourth Asean nation to introduce specific rules to govern competition and ensure fair market play after Indonesia and Thailand introduced similar legislation in 1999, and Singapore in 2004.

Cherating Beach, located some 47km north of here and 133 km from Kuala Lumpur, used to be a popular leisure spot among local folks as well as foreign tourists. Then, many tourists were more familiar with the beach than the state capital of Kuantan.

The year of the Rabbit saw Sarawakians going to the polls in the 10th state election on April 16, the biggest in the state's history. In terms of statistics, it boasted of a total of 979,796 registered voters, 1,749 polling centers and 213 candidates vying for the 71 state seats at stake throughout the length and breadth of Sarawak.

The Brunei express bus tragedy in Tuaran on Dec 20 that claimed seven lives cast a pall in Sabah as the year 2011 was about to run out. The accident at Km8.9 of the Ranau-Tamparuli Road in Tuaran also caused several other passengers to be critically injured. These victims were subsequently flown to Brunei for further treatment. 

Though 2011 has been a challenging year for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, both at the domestic and the global front, it was still an eventful year. At the domestic front, Najib continued with the transformation programs while addressing the ever-changing aspirations of the people. He continued with radical changes including abolishing the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA).