AS Malaysia faces the most keenly-contested general election since independence (GE13), what are both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat coalitions saying about their respective chances of forming government?
General Election
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Possible GE13 outcomes
By Ding Jo-Ann
IT’S nomination day today. Thus begins the official campaigning period for the 13th general election since Malaya’s independence (GE13). The Nut Graph asks political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat what possible outcomes we can expect come polling day on 5 May, and what it would mean for BN and PR.
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The battle for Johor
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE Nut Graph speaks to political scientist Wong Chin Huat on the exciting contest in Johor this coming general election. Will Pakatan Rakyat (PR) make significant inroads in this Barisan Nasional (BN) bastion? Or is BN support in Johor just too strong to overcome?
Malaysia’s electoral system
Sourced from MyConstitution’s Rakyat GuidesFREE and fair elections are essential to a democratic system of governance. Citizens have the right to choose who they want to govern them, and elections are a way for voters to hold those they elect accountable. Find out more about Malaysia’s electoral system in this exclusive essay.
New year resolutions for the BN
Uncommon Sense by Wong Chin Huat
IT’S a new year and the countdown to the next general election has begun, expected within the next 100 days. What new year resolutions should political parties be making to perform well at the impending elections?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Why allow overseas Malaysians to vote?
By Ding Jo-Ann
FOR the first time, all eligible Malaysians abroad may be able to vote by post. This will be welcome news to the approximately one million Malaysians working and living overseas. But should these Malaysians be entitled to vote? And will this affect the outcome of the next general election?
Najib or Anwar?
Reductio ad Absurdum by Chan Kheng Hoe
IN light of the recent Bersih 2.0 demonstrations, and the unjustified crackdown by the authorities, one may be forgiven if one were to be carried away in denouncing the current administration. They handled the demonstrations in an appalling manner, both in the run-up to the actual day and on the day itself. The conduct of […]
Who wants another 13 May?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
I DIDN’T live through the racial clashes of 13 May 1969. I was born a year after. And yet, throughout my childhood and into my adulthood, just mentioning “13 May” evoked whispered warnings and an unnameable fear. What is it about 13 May that gives rise to fear and suspicion that fellow Malaysians might re-enact […]
The importance of Bersih
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IT feels like only yesterday but it’s been three years this week since the historic Bersih rally of 10 Nov 2007 that demanded for free and fair elections. For certain, that 40,000 strong rally, together with the subsequent Hindraf demonstration in Kuala Lumpur, was partly responsible for the political tsunami of the 2008 general election. […]
Money politics vs public interest
By Ding Jo-Ann
POLITICAL parties legitimately need money to carry out their functions in a democracy. After all, to stand any chance of being elected, candidates will need to tell voters who they are and what they stand for. All this costs money. Even after a representative is elected, money is still needed to do a politician’s work. […]
