BARISAN Nasional (BN) won big in both the Batu Sapi and Galas by-elections on 4 Nov 2010. In Galas, BN beat PAS with a 1,190-vote majority and won 12 out of the 13 polling districts. PAS only managed to retain its stronghold in Sungai Terah with a reduced majority of 258 compared to 510 in […]
analysis
First phase of MP Watch completed
PETALING JAYA, 16 July 2010: All 222 Members of Parliament (MPs) have been contacted for the MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project, and have responded with either full answers or a non-reply. As of 15 July, 113 MPs answered in full all six questions on key democracy issues that were posed to them. The other […]
Hulu Selangor’s significance
Updated 10.55am, 19 April 2010 BN candidate P Kamalanathan (left) and PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim HULU Selangor, the 10th by-election since national polls in March 2008, is a fight neither the Barisan Nasional (BN) nor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can afford to lose. The BN needs to prove its sincerity about its rhetorically inclusive 1Malaysia […]
By-elections and bumiputeraism
Corrected at 2.59pm, 16 April 2010 WHILE by-elections can hardly be considered referendums, they are nevertheless mid-term elections and often have far-reaching implications. The triple by-elections of April 2009 Remember the triple by-elections of April 2009? What if newly-minted premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak‘s Barisan Nasional (BN) had won all three handsomely? Would he then […]
Unraveling Pakatan’s Penanti win
Mansor celebrating his win in the by-election WITH Penanti, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has added yet another convincing victory to its already impressive by-election resumé. Doubtless, many are viewing Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Dr Mansor Othman’s thumping 5,558 winning majority as par for the course in PR’s onslaught on Malaysian politics. Rohana AriffinSupport for […]
8 March outcome of changing society
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 March 2009: One year on after the nation’s groundbreaking general election, there is yet a firm analysis on what caused Barisan Nasional (BN)’s huge setback on 8 March 2008. While analysts offer reasons such as new voters, stronger opposition, the inability of the government to fulfil its 2004 pledges, internal party strife, […]
Commodified elected reps
THE joke in town now is that everyone should join the political parties DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) for a RM10 fee, run for office, and then wait for the big payoff. Both parties deserve to be the butt of such jokes since the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak was due […]
Perak must not fail
Corrected 1.40pm, 7 Feb 2009 Signboard maker in Ipoh (© Alex Moi / flickr) A FAILED state is a state losing its ability to govern and exercise authority. Text-book examples include Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Iraq and Afghanistan, countries that we would never compare Malaysia to. The Fund for Peace, a US think tank, listed 12 […]
Heading towards first class
Between 28 April and 15 Dec 2008, four opposition MPs have been thrown out of the House SINCE the historic 8 March elections, expectations have understandably been high for interesting parliamentary sittings. With the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s two-thirds majority reduced in Parliament, the checks and balances needed in a robust democracy have been more imaginable. […]
