Blog
Malaysia’s Backwaters: Women and Children’s Rights
After two decades of struggle for democracy, Anwar Ibrahim finally became the 10th prime minister of Malaysia last November. His election comes with very high expectations on human and civil rights reforms. However, after more than 100 days in power, Anwar’s promises...
Spotlight – Malaysia: April 24, 2023
Now that the first 100 days of Anwar Ibrahim’s government are over, the democratic path that the iconic leader of the Reformasi movement had promised to set the country on remains extremely sinuous. Stuck between his allies in the United Malays National Organisation...
Anwar Ibrahim, Prisoner of Political Allegiances
Having finally scaled the pinnacle of Malaysian politics, will political compromises undermine Anwar’s dream of a genuinely democratic Malaysia? Last November, after two decades of struggle for democracy in Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, the former leader of the Islamist...
Spotlight – Malaysia: March 24, 2023
Anwar Ibrahim became the tenth prime minister of Malaysia in November 2022. His popularity is at an all-time high with an approval rating of 68 percent, according to a recent poll by the Merdeka Center. This number at best nuances or at worst contradicts the November...
Spotlight – Malaysia: January 19, 2023
Malaysia’s 15th general election did not disappoint and has resulted in a series of unprecedented events. The alliance between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) to form a government and counter the electoral weight of Perikatan Nasional (PN) left...
Anwar Ibrahim: Between Campaign Promises and Real Politics
With the rise of Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister and the fall of Mahathir Mohamad, whose once-in-a-lifetime defeat expedited the 97-year-old leader to an overdue retirement, Malaysia has entered a new political era. Since 2018, Malaysia’s tectonic...
The (Final) Rise of Anwar Ibrahim
The democratic icon’s path to prime minister has been tortuous and long. But is Malaysia’s pluralism slipping away precisely when Anwar is getting his shot to lead the nation? In 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was the icon of the reformasi movement, the largest democratic...
Spotlight – Malaysia: December 7, 2022
Malaysia has seen a long series of political surprises since the GE15 polling day on November 19. The political fatigue that many Malaysians (and observers) suffered in the run-up to the election did not translate into abstention, with over 70 percent voter...
Anwar’s Cabinet, another ‘scam’?
For his government to survive, Umno needs to pacify the hearts and souls of the Malays, 'mission impossible' in a context where PN leaders have openly declared themselves as the government-in-waiting. "Kabinet Anwar: the whole country kena scam", I read on Facebook...
In Malaysia, a Political Stalwart Bows Out
Standing on a podium, in front of the tower erected in his name, Mahathir is giving what will end up being the last campaign speech of his career. Tun Mahathir Mohamad, nicknamed Tun M or Dr. M, is the poster boy for the Malay conservative party Pejuang, which he...