James Chai is a Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and a columnist for MalaysiaKini and Sin Chew Daily.
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James Chai
Articles by James Chai (4)
Malaysia’s GE15: Not All Youth Votes Are Equal
James Chai
Malaysia’s Undi18, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, was supposed to empower a new generation of voters. As it turns out, however, not all youth votes have the same weight.
The Paradox of Malaysia’s Lowering of Voting Age – Expanded Enfranchisement Devalued by More Unequal Representation
James Chai
In Malaysia, the Barisan Nasional had long benefited from its dominance over the smaller rural constituencies, winning more seats even if they performed poorly in the larger, under-represented urban constituencies. CA2019 aggravates this phenomenon because the new young voters tend to be located in the urban areas.
Bigger Constituencies, Lesser Political Clout
James Chai
An opposition MP’s decision not to contest in his mega-sized constituency come the next general election has thrown up a longstanding irony in Malaysian politics: bigger seats are increasingly disenfranchised.
The Malaysian Opposition’s ‘Big Tent’ Strategy: A Misreading of Election History
James Chai
The Malaysian Opposition would do well to reconsider its calls for a ‘Big Tent’ strategy. A closer look at voting patterns in recent Malaysian elections raises questions about their assumption that a united opposition would secure an electoral victory against BN.