KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Childhood stories. Most people wrote theirs; fewer have drawn theirs. But one thousand words is not easy to write, and a picture does not have to be too detailed to tell a good story.

Boey Cheeming’s collection of hand-drawn childhood stories, When I Was A Kid is an example of how simple lines and words are all you need to tell a tale.

Indonesia

A landmark publication introduces the richest and most complex plaited traditions in the world.

Plaited Arts from the Borneo Rainforest
Author: Bernard Sellato
Publisher: The Lontar Foundation 2012
Pages: Hardcover

Usually grand publishing projects on Indonesian ethnic arts focus on artifacts and statuary made from the 'noble materials' like bronze, stone, jewelry and hardwood, and do not concern themselves with perishable implements, which conjure up a slightly disparaging perception among art collectors, auctioneers and museum curators who are obsessed with the antiquity and authenticity of objects. But due to the progressive disappearance and skyrocketing prices of genuine 'noble' pieces from the open market, stakeholders were forced to turn to new types of products for business reasons. This led to the emergence, starting in the 1970s, of great interest in ethnic textiles, beads and basket-ware, with a corresponding surge in prices and a shift in the perception of plaited work as art.

Lee Kuan Yew serves up controversial views on China, the US and radical Islam

If you follow Southeast Asian politics, you will find yourself paying extra attention to Lee Kuan Yew.

This is not only because Lee is a highly respected politician who lead Singapore from third-world to first-world status. He is also a critic, one who is fearless in arguing against or even mocking what he disagrees with. (He was once quoted in 2011 by WikiLeaks calling Islam a "venomous religion" _ a statement Lee vehemently denied).

Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master's Insights On China, The United States, And The World is an anthology of selected interviews and speeches Lee has given over the past four decades.