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Will Malaysia’s Johor polls herald the start of a new opposition front?
Malaysia’s major political parties are preparing for the Johor state election on March 12. The campaign in the state with the country’s third highest GDP after Selangor and Sarawak started on February 27. The political battle will test traditional alliances and could...
Spotlight – Malaysia: February 3, 2022
Last month, the sultan of Johor dissolved the State Assembly, and the Election Commission will set a polling day before March 23. The current chief minister of Johor is from Bersatu, the party led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Bersatu and the United...
A Tumultuous Year in Malaysian Politicking
Malaysia’s intricate political games have intensified since 2018, and the tectonic politics have shifted back and forth. The democratic transition many had hoped for with the end of 61 years of single-party rule did not materialize. The unexpected resignation of...
Forget 1MDB, could Najib Razak be Malaysia’s next prime minister?
Three years after being booted from office amid a global financial scandal, the disgraced former leader’s brand, and that of his Umno party, is resurrecting Najib’s second coming has parallels to Mahathir’s messianic return. In his case it is based on an appeal to...
Spotlight – Malaysia: November 23, 2021
On October 4, the state legislative assembly of Melaka in the south of Malaysia was dissolved and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)-led government collapsed after four members of the assembly, including two members of UMNO, withdrew their support for the...
Spotlight – Malaysia: November 12, 2021
The successful trans woman entrepreneur Nur Sajat, hunted by the Malaysian police since January and harassed for several years, has finally reached Australia where she obtained asylum last month. Nur Sajat was under warrant of arrest to face charges in the Islamic...
Spotlight – Malaysia: October 1, 2021
Over the past month Malaysia has witnessed great political change… almost. The resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin came after months of tensions between the government and the palace. Parliament had been suspended amid the state of emergency declared in...
Malaysia’s political pendulum has already swung back to Umno. Is Muhyiddin next?
The country has a new prime minister in Ismail Sabri, but its cabinet is mostly the same as Muhyiddin’s – signalling a return to conservative Malay politics The former premier’s position heading the National Recovery Council is another sign of his survival instinct....
As ‘pandemic premier’ Muhyiddin survives yet again, what’s next for him – and Malaysia?
The prime minister is still the prime minister even after royal rebukes, opposition protests, youth demonstrations and a loss of support While many believe Muhyiddin’s days at the helm are numbered, Mahathir’s reinvention shows political memories are short. Can the...
Spotlight – Malaysia: August 5, 2021
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has found his way out of another major political storm and maintains his power, at least until the next Parliament session in September. At that time he will call for a confidence vote, as announced today. Malaysian politics has gone...