A MISUNDERSTANDING this past week showed us what this news portal’s Chinese edition is all about and why it is necessary in Malaysia.

We made a promotional video and it ended with a line that went “News as hot as your morning tea” in both Mandarin and English. Well, except the character in the video clip was making coffee.

It was perfect in Mandarin because tea meant a drink but in English, it was less than precise. It all boiled down to culture and linguistics.

And so, it is with Malaysia. 

We are a land of many people, many tongues and many ideas that at times find it difficult to communicate with each other. What sounds good in English might not sound that good in Bahasa or Mandarin, and vice-versa.

Over the years, we Malaysians have all, either happily or grudgingly, gone into our own communal silos and understand each other even less than before. There are many reasons for that but only we can break those barriers.

One way is through news, of course. The Malaysian Insight is a news portal that is about information, to inform you so that you make informed decisions. 

Our mission is to provide an insight into Malaysia be it politics, the economy and social issues. If market decisions are done at global levels and politics at local levels, then our duty is to bridge that gap and give insights to all.

We grow with the Malaysia of today, towards a better and prosperous Malaysia. Because this is our home, our tanah air, and we want to share insights for all Malaysians to know and understand.

We have assembled a young team for this section, as young as the others who have joined The Malaysian Insight. They will seek out news and information all over Malaysia, put together videos and pictures and graphics, for all to read in three languages.

We want to listen to all your stories and issues, your concerns and ideas, for that better Malaysia, our home.

Thank you. – November 28, 2017.