TOMORROW we celebrate our National Day. Although it is to be distinguished from the upcoming Malaysia Day (when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore came together with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963, with Singapore subsequently breaking away two years later), this is still a day that has always been celebrated by all Malaysians nationwide.

MANY of us are familiar with the Government’s Vision 2020 aspiration to see Malaysia achieve a national per capita income of at least US$15,000, which allows us to be classified as an advanced economy.

YOU are about to go to an office of a government department to submit an application, make a payment, renew your licence or perform some other transaction. What must you check before you leave?

WE applaud our athletes for doing remarkably well at the just concluded SEA Games in Singapore.

THE Goods and Services Tax (GST) takes off officially today. By the time you read this, you may have already made a transaction in which the mandatory 6% shows up in the bill.

THE Cameron Highlands has dominated the news in recent weeks. The big difference this time is that everyone is united in wanting to restore this hill resort to its former glory.

TWO news items yesterday with regard to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) confirm the intricate ongoing saga where no real solution is in sight.

IF our gross national income nudged upwards each time somebody tried to dissect what it meant to be Malaysian, we would already be a developed economy.

MALAYSIANS are actually enthusiastic about sports. We are a sports-loving nation.

MALAYSIA will have its first national day of mourning for civilians today, when the remains of 20 Malaysians who were killed in the MH17 tragedy arrive home in the morning.

FIFTY-SEVEN years ago, at the time we gained Independence on Aug 31, 1957, we were one people with one purpose.

WE hear this far too often – that we have good laws, but they are poorly enforced. Along with that comes a string of familiar reasons.