MGG Pillai dies

Veteran journalist MGG Pillai dies
Apr 28, 06 12:24pm

The doyen of Malaysian journalism, MGG Pillai, passed away this morning at the Universiti Hospital due to heart complications.
According to his son Sreejit Pillai, the veteran newsman who pioneered Malaysia's online journalism, died at 10.40am.
Pillai, 67, began his career in journalism in the 1960s. He had also served as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War.
He was expelled from Singapore for his reporting while he was stationed in the city-state. He later joined the Malay Mail.
For the past 10 years, Pillai had taken to the Internet to pursue his craft. He was instrumental in the launch of discussion group Sangkancil in 1995 - Malaysia's first online community - and more recently his own website, MGGPillai.com.
Pillai was a Malaysiakini columnist since the online news website was launched six years ago and till the end took his commitment very seriously.
Despite being admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, he insisted on calling Malaysiakini that morning to say that his Chiaroscuro (Shades of gray) column wouldn't be coming in.
“I'm afraid I won’t be sending you a column today because I’m in the hospital,” he told Malaysiakini’s opinions and features editor S Vicknesan.
The chiaroscuro master of journalismMartin JallehMay 1, 06 4:53pm

A giant has left us and Bolehland (a name that he had in fact coined) will never be the same again.
MGG was a very courageous man. Dedicated to the truth, he dared to take on the powerful - the establishment, figures in the corporate world (eg, Vincent Tan), political hegemonies (eg, Umno and the Barisan Nasional) and even the judiciary (eg, then Chief Justice Eusoff Chin).
Though he often lamented at the sad state of affairs in the mainstream press, the young and the alternative/online press like Malaysiakini gave him hope. In one of his replies to me, he marveled at young journalists who have ‘fire in their bellies’.
MGG was a journalist who refused to compromise the truth. Just as he was fearless, he was also fair. He was consistent in what he wrote and the principles that he held. It was therefore not surprising to find him criticising the component parties of BN on one day and the opposition on another. He did not spare PAS even though Harakah carried his articles very often. He took an occasional dig at ‘Kit’ (Lim Kit Siang) when he found it necessary.
His stamina for writing and interacting online (whether it is in a column, or on Sangkanchil or on his very own website) was truly amazing. I remember asking him whether he slept at all. The answer was very obvious. He would churn out articles at such an amazing rate. Journalism was his life, his breath his legacy.
If I were to be asked to point out to what I would consider one of his flaws, it would be his, at times, long and rambling articles and his use of, if you could call it, Queen’s English, which would leave a reader confused. But the man was very connected to a long history. He was very in touch with the past whilst living fully in the present.
Chiaroscuro (which he chose as the title for his column in Malaysiakini) is of Italian origin. In painting, it refers to the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. MGG Pillai was a master of chiaroscuro in journalism. He successfully brought to light the dark shadows that has befallen upon this land whether it be in the courts, councils or cabinet.
I, and I am sure, many an ordinary man and woman on the street will no doubt miss MGG Pillai. He was inspiration to many of us and in our estimate can be considered a truly Tall Malaysian in a country that he loved dearly Bolehland.

Goodbye MGG, till we meet again


Vox Populi: Demise of a towering Malaysian
Apr 29, 06 4:21pm

MGG Pillai was one of the few Malaysian journalists who cannot be bought by both governments or by men of wealth and influence, says a Malaysiakini reader.
Truly Malaysian: I met him last year in one of my trips back home to Malaysia. He actually made the effort to come and see me although he was in a frail state. I spend about four hours talking about everything from politics to his passion for antic Parker pens.
I learned many things from him and amongst it, the most important was he believed in himself and had respect for all irrespective of what happens in Malaysia. He did what he could do best by writing. No journalist in present time in Malaysia can come close to him because he had no fear of the repercussions. I say this because he was a one-man show fighting for truth.
Respect and credibility is created when one believes in what one does and this forms the character, and this man definitely epitomise this. No money or power could buy this.
I am not sure how much coverage is given to his demise, but he is one person that will hold respect in the society at large and will be remembered through time even if he is not in the history books.
This is a tribute to a man who has contributed to the society without fear or intimidation or position. His insight on affairs develops one's own thoughts and make one a better person and this is a rare commodity that cannot be bought or sold.
May he rest in peace.
Ray Menon: It is with deep sorrow that I learn of MGG Pillai's demise. At the outset, let me send my condolences to his widow and sons, who have lost a husband and a father. To those of us who were interested in current affairs in Southeast Asia, we have a lost a source with encyclopedic knowledge of the region’s history and current affairs. His mastery of Southeast Asian affairs was legendary.
He refused to be cowed down by governments or by men of wealth and influence in the best traditions of the Fourth Estate. He was the closest to a Walter Cronkite that Southeast Asia ever had, in terms of integrity, knowledge and reporting the facts as he saw fit.
He passing will be deeply mourned by all those who believe in the honest reporting of events. It will be a great challenge for the Fourth Estate to come up with a replacement for this towering figure who will be deeply missed for many like me enjoyed reading his columns immensely. With deepest sympathy
Sonny Inbaraj Krishnan: MGG Pillai was a brave journalist, a wonderful teacher and a real pain in the butt! I'll always remember the time we travelled together in 1990 to the PAS hinterland in Kelantan. He was such good company and I learnt so much from him. MGG, you'll never die in our hearts.
How Sad: Many Malaysians will mourn the passing away Mr Pillai, a true journalist who did his job without fear or favour. A man who can be ranked as the top Malaysian journalist of this era. I propose that the least we can do is to bestow him the title of Datuk.
The following are readers’ comments on the report No open tender: Nothing wrong, says PM.
Joe Public: Our PM’s reasoning that there is nothing wrong with no open tender says it all. Who are we to question, after all BN has got 90 percent of the seats in Parliament? Every decision can be attributed to wishes of the people.
The NEP had been successful too, so who are we to say it was not? Bank Pertanian just announced its RM700 million loss and it has 37 percent of NPLs (non-performing loans), are we surprised? It is becoming the rule rather than exception.
The only good thing is the proposed change in procurement methods of the GLCs (government linked companies) but until we see the results, I am not convinced. There are too much hype and sloganeering that we have become cynics.
Just let the government goes on with its present attitude until the oil runs dry.
Toh: I am ashamed that the PM can argue that a RM250 million project did not necessary to have an open tender for the awarding of the project. His reason is very weak and does not hold water. As a matter of fact all projects must be open tendered. The tender committee and the board must comprise at least three high-ranking officers from different ministry including the Treasury. This established Internal Control System, which will automatically check all abuses and conflict of interest.
Samy Vellu’s reasons is simply bad unprofessional justification. Why are all the MPs keeping quiet. What has the Integrity and Transparency Council has to say about this. How do you measure that the chosen contractor is the best and the cheapest. The rakyat demand for a very truthful straight answer because they are the ones who is paying and therefore have a right to hold the government responsible. The ACA must move in to investigate. An audit has to be done.
On Campaign pushes for local council elections
Concerned Citizen: Local governments seem to be more corrupt and inefficient than the police . So while we clamour for an independent commission (which we need ) to be set up to oversee the police, there is a crying need for a way to improve, very significantly, the performance of local governments. Elected representatives will be one way of doing this.