AS a Sarawakian, I am constantly frustrated by comments on Malaysian news websites and blogs by West Malaysians telling East Malaysians that they “get who they vote for”. These comments are inevitably made whenever human rights issues affecting East Malaysia are discussed. Most of these comments are made by people who probably have little regard [...]

From l-r: Mat Sabu, Mansor Othman, Guan Eng and Anwar Ibrahim BUKIT MERTAJAM, 31 May 2009: As expected, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has notched yet another by-election victory, when Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s Dr Mansor Othman scored a thumping win here in Penanti. Additionally, Mansor will be made the new Penang deputy chief minister (DCM) 1 [...]

Khairy Jamaluddin Updated 4.25pm, 29 May 2009 BUKIT MERTAJAM, 29 May 2009: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is mulling lodging a police report against Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for allegedly inciting Penanti voters not to vote in the by-election. PKR said Khairy’s comments, as reported in the Malay-language daily Sinar Harian on 28 May in [...]

“Ministers and functionaries, people connected to the government, they’re doing their job.” THEN-Election Commission (EC) chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, shortly after the 2007 Machap by-election. He was commenting on the morality of development promises by Barisan Nasional (BN)-aligned government officials to voters before the polls. Abdul Rashid said that allocations, given out [...]

KOTA KINABALU, 13 March 2009: The Federal Court today overturned the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision to nullify the election of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup to the Pensiangan seat in the 8 March general election last year. This means there will be no by-election in the parliamentary seat. Kurup [...]

KUALA TERENGGANU, 14 Jan 2009: The street in Kampung Cina here appears relatively calm despite daytime activities and the intensified campaign for the 17 Jan Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election. “Actually, it is boiling here,” a coffeeshop owner, who wanted to be known only as Chua, said, referring to the close battle for the 8,229 Chinese [...]