ARTICLES

15 Aug 2022

Thai Parliamentarians Should Learn from Their Malaysian Counterparts

Termsak Chalermpalanupap

Thailand should take a leaf from Malaysia, which has effected a law to deter party hoppers in the country’s legislature.

4 Aug 2022

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.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

1 Aug 2022

Leadership in Place, PKR Needs to Focus on Ideology

Norshahril Saat

Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the political party of Anwar Ibrahim, has a new slate of leaders in place. To make a difference, PKR will need to find a balance between pragmatism and the need to uphold multiracialism.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

21 Jul 2022

Malaysia Must Pursue A New Order of Stability via Democracy

Liew Chin Tong

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has publicly argued that Malaysia should return to the old order with UMNO as the singular dominant party and Barisan Nasional ruling with two-thirds majority. It is important for the nation to ask, what sort of new political order should emerge?

Malaysia Malaysian Politics UMNO

5 Jul 2022

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.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

29 Jun 2022

Malaysia’s Skewed Transport System: Rising Costs Demand Bolder Solutions

Liew Chin Tong

Malaysia’s failure to build an efficient and functioning public transport system has a price tag: a huge fuel subsidy bill, sizable accumulated public debts and a high level of household debts partly caused by car loans. Policymakers should think out of the box and consider subsidising commuters to take public transport.

Malaysia

24 Jun 2022

Bon Odori in Malaysia: Dance-off between Revivalism and Multiculturalism

Faris Ridzuan|Sharifah Afra Alatas

The controversy caused by warnings to Malaysia’s Muslims not to participate in a Japanese-inspired summer festival raises important questions about how Malaysia can sustain its multicultural character against the rising tide of Islamisation.

Islam Japan Malaysia

10 Jun 2022

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.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

3 Jun 2022

Ismail Sabri Charting His Own Course

Norshahril Saat

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob appears to be holding his own, despite pressure from his party colleagues to hold a general election soon.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

1 Jun 2022

Malaysia’s Nationwide Minimum Wage Omits Crucial Regional Differences

Tham Siew Yean|Kevin Zhang

One of the key goals of a minimum wage is to provide employees with a wage that can sustain their basic livelihood. Therefore, a more appropriate minimum wage scale should create several tiers where wages are calibrated according to state or regional differences.

Labour Market Malaysia Malaysian Economy