Category: Opinion Pieces

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...

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...

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...

The mystery of the Malay vote in GE15

In this electoral race, it seems that no candidate is emerging as the clear winner. For over six decades, Umno has claimed to be the righteous defender of Malay interests. Umno, and Islamist party PAS, are the country's oldest political entities, having been around...

Spotlight – Malaysia: November 8, 2022

  Malaysia’s 15th general election marks a major change in the country’s political landscape. First, the collapse of the 61-year Barisan Nasional (BN) rule in 2018 opened the way for greater political freedom and alternatives. Second, the implosion of the Pakatan...