IT’S not hard at all to be distressed by the BN federal government over the way the “Allah” issue has developed. That said, following the Jais raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia, it is equally troubling to see the PR’s failure in demonstrating it will and can uphold non-Muslims’ constitutional rights.
PKR
The cost of saving Utusan
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IS there any incentive for Utusan Malaysia to stop reporting in a way that is racially polarising, defamatory and damaging to the nation? It would seem that the answer is ‘no’, not when Umno wants to bail out the ethno-nationalist paper, even at a cost to public interest and the nation.
Strengthening parliamentary democracy
By Deborah Loh
The majority of MPs who responded to MP Watch want parliamentary democracy strengthened. Two top suggestions for doing this were reforming election practices and having parliamentary select committees.
Voting in London
By Hwa Yue-Yi
WHILE voting in London went relatively smoothly on 28 April, some voters discovered a printed full-stop against the name of a candidate in their ballot papers. Hwa Yue-Yi writes from the United Kingdom on the voting process in London.
Wooing Felda settlers
By Danny Lim
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.
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The cause and effect of three-cornered fights
By Ding Jo-Ann
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.
New Year resolutions for Pakatan Rakyat
Uncommon Sense by Wong Chin Huat
PAKATAN Rakyat’s People’s Uprising Rally, dubbed KL112 by some, passed without any major incidents last Saturday. Is Pakatan Rakyat (PR) any closer to winning power federally? What resolutions should PR parties be making if they want to stand a good chance of making it to Putrajaya at the next general election? Political scientist Wong Chin Huat writes.
Doubtful votes — can they change an election outcome?
By Deborah Loh
Are Malaysians sufficiently educated on how to vote? It is widely assumed that marking “X” next to a candidate’s name is the only legitimate way to vote. It is not. Civil society groups now train volunteers to be election monitors, booth agents and polling and counting agents. They also cover training on doubtful votes, due to concerns that dubiously marked ballots could end up influencing an election outcome. Can this really happen?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: What if Najib wins?
By Ding Jo-Ann
THE next general election will be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first election as head of the Barisan Nasional (BN). Najib will also be leading the BN into its first general election after its worst election performance in March 2008. The Nut Graph asks political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat on how well Najib […]
Zaid Ibrahim: “It will get better”
By Shanon Shah
LAWYER-turned-politician Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, 60, knows that politics can be a dirty game. He joined Umno and won the Kota Baru parliamentary seat in the 2004 general election. The party did not field him for the 2008 elections, however. After winning with a severely reduced majority, the ruling coalition under Prime Minister Tun Abdullah […]
