ARTICLES

Malaysia’s Multi-coalition Platter Spices Up Talk of Fragmented Parliament  

Norshahril Saat

Whenever the next Malaysian general elections are held, voters will be in for a bumpier ride as coalition politics lead to more uncertainty about how the next government will shape up.

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.

UMNO’s Constitutional Amendment: A Done Deal?

Francis E. Hutchinson

Pending approval from the government, UMNO’s Supreme Council can now delay elections for up to 18 months from a full three-year term or 6 months after a general election — whichever is later. The rationale is that this would allow the party to overcome any internal divisions arising during the polls and focus its energies on the next general election.

Reopening Malaysia’s Parliament: Not a Panacea

Norshahril Saat

The Malaysian government’s decision to reconvene Parliament has been welcomed. But this in itself will not resolve the list of problems facing the country in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic.