Malaysia Votes

By Farish A. Noor
The historian’s lot is a sad one in Malaysia. I say this as a historian who has been forced to witness the relentless murder of our history, enacted time and again, by those whose discomfort with the past informs their definition of comfort in the present. Our national symbols have been taken […]

As Malaysia heads to the polls, what are the main issues that voters are grappling with? What issues keep cropping up, election after election, and where should we as a plural society go from here? In a Q&A with Cindy Tham, Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, provides some insights. The […]

By Cindy Tham
cindytham@malaysiavotes.com
KUALA LUMPUR: When Malaysia last went to the polls in March 2004, many voters were attracted by the “Pak Lah Factor”. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi , who had taken the helm as prime minister only five months before that, was described as religious and dubbed Mr. Clean. He promised to be prime […]

Riding on the “Pak Lah Factor” and its development promises, the Barisan Nasional (BN) had a landslide victory in the 2004 general election, clinching 90% of the Parliamentary seats. The DAP won 12 seats and PAS, six seats. Parti Keadilan Rakyat and an independent candidate managed to win one seat each. The BN also won […]

On March 8, Malaysia goes to the polls, 15 months before the current government’s five-year mandate ends.
Even though the last general election was held in 2004 and the law stipulates that elections for Parliamentary and state assembly seats be held once in five years, elections can also be held earlier. Indeed, this has been the […]