ARTICLES

14 Nov 2025

STAR’s Exit from GRS: Much Ado About Nothing?

Arnold Puyok

Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) has withdrawn from Sabah’s ruling coalition. But this is unlikely to cause major political shifts ahead of the 29 November state polls.

5 Nov 2025

Malaysia as a “Second Palestine”: Dangerous Reframing of Siege Mentality

Sharifah Afra Alatas|Mohd Faizal Musa

Parti Islam SeMalaysia has sought to frame Malay-Muslims in Malaysia as being under “siege” from non-Malay pendatang (immigrants), like the Palestinians under Israeli occupation. This is a dangerous form of false equivalence.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics Palestine

3 Nov 2025

Malaysia’s Budget 2026: Fiscal Reform or Fragility?

Tricia Yeoh

Malaysia’s 2026 budget continues fiscal reforms but exposes structural fragilities such as heavy operating costs and rising debt. These factors may threaten long-term fiscal stability.

Malaysia Malaysian Economy Malaysian Politics

3 Nov 2025

Will the East Coast Son Rise Again? Shafie Apdal and Sabah’s 2025 Election

Vilashini Somiah

Shafie Apdal, long hailed as champion of Sabah’s East Coast, may need to offer more than his “Sabah first” slogan to secure victory in the upcoming state election.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

29 Oct 2025

47th ASEAN Summit: Steadiness Amid Shifting Tides

Joanne Lin|Melinda Martinus|Kristina Fong Siew Leng

Joanne Lin, Melinda Martinus and Kristina Fong examine the outcomes of the 47th ASEAN Summit and assess Malaysia’s achievement as the ASEAN Chair.

ASEAN ASEAN Summit ASEANFocus Malaysia

28 Oct 2025

All That Money Cannot Buy: Patterns of Satisfaction in Malaysia’s Happiness Index

Lee Hwok-Aun

Malaysia’s Happiness Index shows that ploughing resources into health, family life, education and faith yields dividends.

Civil Society Malaysia

28 Oct 2025

Malaysia’s Participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla: Solidarity or Pageantry?

Mohd Faizal Musa

Malaysia made a spectacle of its support for the GSF, revealing the tension between moral leadership and moral theatre in the country’s Palestine policy.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

24 Oct 2025

Trump in Kuala Lumpur: Upstaging ASEAN?

Tang Siew Mun

US President Donald Trump’s decision to attend the upcoming ASEAN Summits in Kuala Lumpur has put the Malaysian authorities in a pickle.

ASEAN Summit ASEAN-US Relations Malaysia

23 Oct 2025

Malaysia’s Islamic Authorities Risk Sowing Societal Confusion through Hasty Bans on Some ‘New Age’ Practices

Mohd Faizal Musa

By indiscriminately condemning as heretical some ‘New Age’ practices, such as those involving healing and astrology, Malaysia’s Islamic authorities could inadvertently undermine some Malay cultural traditions.

Islam Malaysia

22 Oct 2025

Floating Prices, Fearing Backlash: Economics and Politics of Malaysia’s Petrol Subsidy Reform

Lee Hwok-Aun

Malaysia’s persistently narrow tax base and declining oil and gas revenue underscore the case for fuel subsidy reform. The Long Read assesses the political context and constraints that shape the policy options available to Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani administration.

Malaysia Malaysian Economy Malaysian Politics