Rehman Rashid

Rehman Rashid (24 October 1955 – 3 June 2017) was a prominent Malaysian journalist and writer.

Quotes

 * Writing what I do is like pulling away layered veils one at a time; each one revealing tantalising shapes and forms still to be uncovered. Puzzled as I’ve been by the absence of any “mainstream” attention to the phenomenon of ‘Peninsula’ last year, I now take it as a form of carte blanche: I remain free to do (or not do) as I please with what I have. From feeling rejected and disdained by the “literary fraternity” in this country, I now feel weightlessly above the mists & mire, and I like the view from up & out here. I’ve paid my dues and owe you nothing but my gratitude now.
 * Told to Charis Loke through a letter, Rehman Rashid (1955–2017) as reported by Gerakbudaya (4 June 2017)


 * There is something profound in our catchy little exhortation, “Malaysia Boleh!”. The past two or three decades seem to have honed us into a sort of stylish resilience. Among the things “Malaysia Can Do” is sidestep insouciantly past pitfalls that routinely swallow other nations whole. We are held together in our chronic cultural disarray by — among other things — a certain gallows humour and clear-eyed realism. In Malaysia, after all, even the most horrific highway pile-up raises the possibility of lucky numbers.
 * Speech delivered at the Forum on “Regional Strategic and Political Developments”, entitled DESTINIES DELAYED (BUT NOT DENIED): REFLECTIONS ON THE TRANSITION OF MALAYSIAN ADMINISTRATIONS, as reported by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore (24 July 2003)


 * May I suggest that the proper way for the Aliran chairperson to have introduced the Secretary-General of the DAP”, should have been as “The Honourable Mr Lim Kit Siang, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition”; and not, as happened, “Defender of the Oppressed and Guardian of the Underdog?
 * Stated in his NST column called "On Friday", entitled Voices in the Wilderness published in 21 August 1987, as later reported by Malaysian Journal of Communication (2019).