AK Rockefeller Topics

Malaysia

The Day Begins

The Day Begins

Photograph by Zashnain. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.     ...

Inequality in Bolehland

Inequality in Bolehland

Will there be any improvements to the state of poverty and hardship for Malaysians and migrant workers? What are NGOs and government agencies doing to improve the quality of life for marginalised communities? Or will ...

The Swirling Desolation of Time

The Swirling Desolation of Time

I have lost track of time. There is this bizarre feeling of a swirling abyss, somewhere, ever-consuming. Time is perhaps not relevant, often I ask myself – not relevant to me? Emotions are high, while exhaustio ...

Politics Fragmented into a Series of Hopelessness

Politics Fragmented into a Series of Hopelessness

Throughout a decade of struggles in a state of kleptocracy, Malaysians, mainly those from the lower middle class, have told me that they were unable to find equal opportunities for work. But then one day, Malaysians ...

Federal, State Govt Fails to Protect Indigenous Land Rights of Temiar Community

Federal, State Govt Fails to Protect Indigenous Land Rights of Temiar Community

In early August 2018, a plantation company destroyed a six-month-old blockade set up by an indigenous Orang Asli community in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. According to a news report, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asl ...

Dream State

Dream State

Poverty in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Art and photography by Zashnain Zainal   ...

Capture the Real You

Capture the Real You

Homelessness and urban poverty in Kuala Lumpur. Photography and art by Zashnain Zainal | Malaysia. ...

Dark Side

Dark Side

Shadow is the dark side, Where beings are hidden from plain view. Invisible not just to sight, but also to our other senses, our consciousness, We hope, and pray, that they, those dark beings, do not stir from their ...

Malaysia: Lawan Berita Palsu Dengan Fakta, Bukan Akta

Malaysia: Lawan Berita Palsu Dengan Fakta, Bukan Akta

Malaysia’s government has introduced a sweeping “anti-fake news” bill that critics say could stifle criticism of Prime Minister Najib Razak and his supremacist political party before a national ele ...

The Elders

The Elders

Hardship revisited, as elders struggle against the high cost of living. Art by @bedlamfury Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2018   ...

We Make a Living

We Make a Living

A slow day at the market.  Photographs by @bedlamfury Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2018     ...

Struggling Urban Communities

Struggling Urban Communities

In a realm of loss, individuals are forgotten and neglected by the mainstream doctrine of social development. Photographs by @bedlamfury Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2018   ...

Blinded by the Light

Blinded by the Light

Marginalised communities struggle in Kuala Lumpur, the heart of Malaysia – a capital known as the garden city of lights. But the government and ruling political parties continue to compliment themselves for  ...

The Curse of a Fine City

The Curse of a Fine City

I have returned to the bustling city, which was once my home. Despite my exhaustion, my eyes feast on the familiar sights of Kuala Lumpur, those lingering memories. Time has been merciless upon this city – a na ...

Street Music is Work Too

Street Music is Work Too

A tiring night yet he moves; carrying his music. Onward, to find another place, to ply his trade. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2017. ...

The Hand That Feeds Us

The Hand That Feeds Us

Migrant workers are often trapped in an invisible dimension – in countries that need cheap labour, where employers demand for round-the-clock workers, where their individual identities are discarded, where sala ...

Housing Beyond Reach

Housing Beyond Reach

Economic prosperity is an oddity of some sort, an irony at best, especially for marginalised communities in Thailand and Malaysia. According to experts, the economy is expanding, but based on what I have observed dur ...

Haven

Haven

A watering hole. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2017. ...

art works

art works

A Malaysian street artist at work. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2017 ...

Solivagant

Solivagant

The unapologetic urban rogue. A lone non-conformist to the predictable, senseless whims of Malaysian high society. Mental health services and outreach activities are dwindling and often inaccessible to those who wand ...