If you asked me whether Pakatan Harapan would win the Melaka state election, my immediate response would be “I don’t know.” A more nuanced response would be “depends on voters’ turnout.” It is down to the wire. My team and I have been in Melaka…
After the 2015 split between the conservatives and the progressives which left to form Parti Amanah Negara, PAS is ideologically uniformed though not without internal friction. The latest fault-line within the party is whether to work with UMNO (Barisan Nasional) or with Bersatu (Perikatan Nasional).…
When Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz presented Budget 2022 last Friday (29 October), it was my first time in 16 years not being inside the Parliament precinct, either as aide or as parliamentarian. Each time the Budget was presented throughout those years, I kept…
Harold Wilson famously said, “a week is a long time in politics”. I would add that it is especially so when an election is looming. It now seems that we may expect not just one, but possibly two state elections. This week, national attention will…
All indications seem to point towards a state election in Melaka although there are talks of having an emergency imposed to delay it. The coalition that intends to form a state government will need to win at least 15 out of the 28 seats in…
There is a myth circulating among the high circles of Kuala Lumpur and beyond, that no matter what, UMNO will win handsomely in the next general election. According to this myth, UMNO is the “natural” ruler of this nation. Hence, the 2018 general election was…
A fragile but historic political ceasefire is in place in Malaysia, at least until the middle of next year – giving the country the chance to move away from the turmoil of recent years and reshape the political landscape. Newly installed Prime Minister Ismail Sabri…
Speech at panel discussion on “Mengembalikan undang-undang perkhidmatan parlimen di Malaysia” by Liew Chin Tong on 3 September 2021 I would like to first congratulate Idzuafi Hadi Kamilan, Executive Director of Institute for Political Reform and Democracy (REFORM), for his excellent 93-page report examining the…
To all Malaysians who created the GE14 miracle, keep fighting. We will be back stronger.