WHAT is the campaign trail like outside modern, urban constituencies, such as in a Felda settlement? Photojournalist Danny Lim gives us a glimpse of how a political party woos a rural community of farmers.
Archives for April 2013
On hudud, dinosaurs and political violence
Think tank Refsa makes an argument for “one clear cut choice” at the polls after comparing both the BN and PR on the issues of hudud, poor candidates and political violence.
MPs and Freedom of Information
BOTH the PR state governments in Selangor and Penang have passed Freedom of Information (FOI) laws while the BN-led federal government has yet to dismantle the Official Secrets Act. Find out what the different parties think about a citizen’s right to know before heading to the polls on 5 May 2013.
The transfer of power: What should happen?
WHAT ought to happen should there be a change in government after the general election? How is the transfer of power from the caretaker prime minister to the prime minister-in-waiting meant to happen? Constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas explains.
The contest for Selangor
Both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat have claimed they are confident of winning back Selangor but which coalition actually has the upper hand?
Najib’s mixed human rights record
AS we head into the 13th general election since independence, it is time to review Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s human rights record. Many bold promises have been made since he took office in April 2009. Have they come to pass? Or have we gone two steps forward and two steps back and remained in the same place?
MPs and the ISA
The Internal Security Act has now been abolished and replaced with the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. But not all Barisan Nasional MPs were keen on abolishing the ISA. Find out what MPs told The Nut Graph about what they thought about the ISA during the MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project.
Why every vote matters
IT’S more than just a numbers game. Votes don’t just count at the ballot box. Voting is also a symbolic affirmation of your right to participate in your country’s politics, writes Hwa Yue-Yi.
Reforms needed for campaign financing
To have a democratic election, all parties should be able to contest in a level playing field. When either side has unequal access to a gross amount of funds, this puts the other players at a severe disadvantage. How are elections funded in Malaysia? What reforms are needed to ensure greater transparency and accountability?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The cause and effect of three-cornered fights
THERE are a record number of three-cornered fights this election, including those involving candidates from the same coalition. Why all the bickering over seats? Couldn’t seat allocations have been agreed upon before nomination day? And most importantly, what will it mean for the final results of GE13? The Nut Graph asks political scientist Wong Chin Huat.