ARTICLES

21 May 2021

Borderland Without Business: The Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Peninsular Malaysia’s Southernmost State of Johor

Serina Rahman

The state of Johor has suffered disproportionately among Malaysian states due to the impact of Covid-induced border closures. Increasing poverty and unemployment are compounded by decreasing mental health and well-being. Several initiatives have been launched to alleviate difficulties. But the state will not fully recover until borders reopen, given Johor’s high dependence on international investments and its deep connections with Singapore for business, investment and livelihoods.

Malaysia Malaysian Economy

12 May 2021

The UMNO General Assembly and the Rocky Road Back to Putrajaya

Norshahril Saat

In the May 2018 general election, UMNO lost power for the first time in history but clawed back into government in March 2020 through defections from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. However, the party is now deeply split. A close examination of the positions of various UMNO leaders demonstrates that not all is well within the party, and its path to recapture Putrajaya is rocky.

11 May 2021

Muhyiddin’s Special Envoy to the Middle East: Largely Ceremonial

Fauzan A. Roslee

Hadi Awang, the Malaysian prime minister’s special envoy to the Middle East, has done little to advance Kuala Lumpur’s interests in that region. His role is more political than functional.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics Middle East

6 May 2021

DAP Johor Party Elections: A “Fourpeat” for State Chief Liew Chin Tong

Kevin Zhang|Francis E. Hutchinson

Liew Chin Tong’s win in the Johor state party elections is a win for Lim Kit Siang in the coming DAP national party elections.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

16 Apr 2021

Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid Hamidi – Forbidden Phone Friends?

Francis E. Hutchinson|Kevin Zhang

An audio clip of a conversation between Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid Hamidi has given Malaysians a ringside seat into the shady backroom dealing between two of the nation’s prominent politicians. Genuine or not, the political interests of the two men have increasingly converged.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics UMNO

31 Mar 2021

UMNO Unites While Bersatu Prevaricates

Norshahril Saat

UMNO’s bid to rally the party ranks at its recent general assembly belies deeper problems ahead of the next general election.

Bersatu Malaysia Malaysian Politics UMNO

26 Mar 2021

The Allah Controversy in Malaysia: More Than Semantics

Choong Pui Yee

The recent High Court ruling permitting the use of four previously-prohibited words in non-Muslim publications is more than a contention about semantics. It concerns the issue of religious rights versus the preserving the exclusivity of Malay-Muslims.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics Religion Religious Intolerance

19 Mar 2021

Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat: Losing Its Moral Compass?

Francis E. Hutchinson

There is a logic to Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat working with its arch-nemesis UMNO. But it could well be that the former has lost its moral compass.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

11 Mar 2021

Zahid’s Sources of Stress: The Clobbering of UMNO’s “Court Cluster”?

Francis E. Hutchinson

UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is typically the embodiment of calm. Going forward, however, Zahid and his faction will have to hunker down to confront multiple challenges.

Corruption Malaysia Malaysian Politics UMNO