AMID furore over banned words and price hikes, the redelineation of electoral boundaries is the next big thing that Malaysian voters must not let slip without close scrutiny. Political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat explains the issues to look out for in this upcoming exercise.
gerrymandering
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Beyond election petitions
By Jacqueline Ann Surin
POST-GE13, both BN and PR lodged election petitions against the polls results in several seats. Why bother with election petitions? And what else do citizens need to be aware of and be vigilant about if Malaysians are to get a cleaner and fairer electoral system come GE14?
BN’s slim state victories
By Refsa
BN may have won more states in GE13. But Refsa’s analysis shows that these states were won by minority votes and slim margins.
Where does Malaysia go from GE13?
Work in Progress by Hwa Yue-Yi
SOME countries move from relatively democratic systems to more authoritarian ones such as Malaysia in the 1970s. Others from authoritarianism toward democracy. What can the experiences of these other countries tell us about where we go from GE13? And what choices lie ahead of those who want change?
A minority government in power
By Refsa
HOW did a minority coalition get into power in Malaysia’s recent general election? Refsa explains how the BN secured less popular votes than PR and yet still won more seats in Parliament.
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Beyond GE13 (Part 1)
By Ding Jo-Ann
AND so the BN is still in power. Those hoping for a change in government are still coming to terms with the results of GE13. The Nut Graph asks political scientist Wong Chin Huat how the BN won, why it would racialise the poll results, and what needs to happen next.
Who says the EC is independent?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
FRANKLY, I wasn’t surprised at all when it was reported in late April that both the Election Commission (EC) chairperson and deputy chairperson were Umno members. Even without evidence of party membership and despite the EC deputy chairperson’s subsequent U-turn and denial, it would not be a stretch to imagine both the chairperson and his […]
What’s wrong with Bersih 3.0?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF we were to believe everything the Barisan Nasional (BN) is saying about Bersih 3.0, the movement for free and fair elections is indeed problematic in several ways. According to BN elected representatives, the planned 28 April 2012 sit-down protest at Dataran Merdeka, known as Bersih 3.0, is “unnecessary”. It has been hijacked by, or […]
The year of being Malaysian
Work in Progress by Hwa Yue-Yi
I WOULDN’T normally consider myself an outlaw. Last month, for example, I submitted another deferment request for the six-year-old National Service summons that I have yet to fulfil because of school calendars. I also don’t buy pirated DVDs. But recently I have found myself among the many in a position where democratic citizenship conflicts with […]
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. […]
