It has been a 'happening' year and it would be a hard-bitten Malaysian who does not acknowledge a slight thrill of having survived it with marbles fairly intact.

From outright racism and religion-based tension to political machinations and probes into 'private palaces', a wide range of incidents caught our imagination. The conclusion is mind-boggling - nothing has changed, except for the worse.

Whenever the public platform wasn't being commandeered by politicians seeking their 15 minutes of fame, it was claimed mainly by those with brutal minds and Mat Rempit.

But the brightest glare of publicity was reserved for Datuk K's coup in winning Siti Nurhaliza's hand in a tele-novella to end all tele-novellas.

We take you over the year's most pulsating stories and give you the heads-up as to how these may pan out. Siti did not make the list. Sorry.

1. Showdown in Putrajaya

THE ISSUE: It would be an under-statement to say that the row between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his handpicked successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stunned Malaysians.

While the fallout was inevitable as soon as Abdullah tried to step out of Mahathir's shadow, the viciousness and ferocity of the attacks surprised just about everybody.

Tension between the two was brewing from last year, but Mahathir's real attack came soon after his May 23 interview with malaysiakini . The tipping point was when - at a press conference on June 7 - he openly said Abdullah wasn't his first choice as his successor.

From there, the situation fast deteriorated. As expected, Abdullah's cabinet - many of them appointed by Mahathir - put up a bold defence in trashing their ex-boss.

Tension was at an all-time high when Mahathir was attacked with pepper spray on arrival at the Kota Bahru airport on July 28. This resulted in a police report being made against malaysiakini , and the alleged assailant being charged.

There was an attempt at reconciliation when Mahathir and Abdullah met on Oct 28 , but the war of words resumed soon after. However, Mahathir suffered a mild heart attack on Nov 9 and has largely remained out of the public eye as he recuperates.

WHAT'S NEXT: Mahathir has kept his thoughts to himself. Many believe, though, that the spat is simmering on the back burner and could boil over again when he is back on his feet. It's clear that this town ain't big enough for both...

For more on the spat, see our Special Report .

2. 'Motivating' Malays, rattling everyone else

THE ISSUE: When Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein brandished the keris at the Umno Youth annual assembly on Nov 14, he defended his action by saying that he had raised the traditional Malay dagger to motivate the Malays.

He did exactly that. Three delegates were especially motivated to deliver sedition-laced speeches on the need to preserve Malay supremacy, retain bumiputera rights and privileges, and prevent the practice of Islam being questioned.

Who could forget the rousing words of Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh: "Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham when is he going to use it?"

Another delegate said the Malays were ready to " bathe in blood " to protect their race.

Since the assembly was televised 'live' by satellite television service provider Astro, the impact was immediately amplified among Malaysians who have, up to now, been fed sanitised media reports on such proceedings. The shock was palpable.

Opposition party DAP lodged five police reports against some of the delegates. The Attorney- General now has to decide whether or not to charge them under the Sedition Act. Umno was moved only to issue a 'stern warning' to the trio.

MCA Youth, which initially challenged the basis of the keris stunt, looked for the nearest U-turn after Hishammuddin told them that he was there to protect all Malaysians.

WHAT'S NEXT: The keris may be here to stay, but there will be no 'live' telecast of martial arts when the next Umno AGM rolls around. The racist delegates are unlikely to face criminal charges, since they are already smarting from a rap on the wrist....ouch.

3. Religious conflicts - sacred cows challenged

THE ISSUE: Seldom has the administration of Syariah law been so carefully scrutinised in relation to the constitutional rights of individuals caught up in cases of conversion to Islam.

Over the year, Lina Joy, S Shamala, Nyonya Tahir, M Moorthy and Rayappan Anthony have all become household names, as they or their families petitioned the courts for rulings on their religious status.

The more prominent of the cases moved several non-governmental organisations and individuals to form the Article 11 coalition. It embarked on a road-show of forums that ran into road-blocks mounted by angry Muslim groups in Penang and Johor Bahru.

For all the premier's claims of latitude for free expression, it wasn't long before he acted to 'preserve public order' - by rejecting a proposal to create an Interfaith Commission and issuing a gag order against interfaith discussions.

Apostasy was the clear frontrunner among religion-based issues. Emotions ran highest when protestors gathered outside a Catholic church in Ipoh on the strength of a false SMS about baptism of Muslim Malays.

The Lina Joy 'identity' case saw counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar receiving deaths threats for placing constitutional rights above Islam law.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Federal Court's ruling on the Lina Joy case will serve as the litmus test as to whether rulings of the Syariah court supercede those of civil courts. Gag order or no, the debate is all set to heat up a divided nation.

4. Biting the bullet

THE ISSUE: The cost of living went up, up and away as fuel subsidies were reduced and the electricity and water tariffs went the other way.

A series of mass protests were held in Kuala Lumpur in June. The infamous ' Bloody Sunday ' demonstration ended in bloodied heads, bruises and the arrest of 18 people.

Yet, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted that the quality of life is still good and that the increased prices were in line with the "government's policy on efficient utilisation of our energy resources".

Soon after, Klang Valley residents were left to stomach a 15 percent increase in water tariff without having access to documentary proof that apparently justifies the decision of the government and concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd.

WHAT'S NEXT: Something has to give within dampened economic growth, reduced confidence and higher levels of resentment against the government. Barisan Nasional will be left counting the cost unless the infamous Malaysia mudah lupa syndrome kicks in again.

5. Witch-hunt over 'Prophet Cartoons'

THE ISSUE: Media organisations deemed to have crossed the line in covering the issue of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad felt the full weight of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 amidst an outcry over the 'insult to Islam'.

The axe first fell on the Sarawak Tribune which was indefinitely suspended on Feb 9, for having published the cartoons on Feb 4. Its operations were wound up soon after.

The evening edition of Guangming Daily was suspended for two weeks for publishing a photo depicting the caricatures, as was Chinese-language afternoon daily Berita Petang in Sarawak.

On Feb 21, New Straits Times ran a cartoon strip that showed a sidewalk cartoonist offering to draw caricatures of the Prophet. Under pressure, it issued a front-page apology the next day, which the prime minister accepted .

Malaysiakini obtained footage of news clips aired by state-owned RTM's TV2 and private television station TV3 on Feb 3 and Feb 27 respectively. On March 1, TV3 and ntv7 apologised.

WHAT'S NEXT: There will be no dead heroes in the journalistic pursuit of press freedom and freedom of expression. Expect the degree of self-censorship to worsen in newsrooms.

6. Going, going, gone...

THE ISSUE: Since February, scores of ' illegal ' places of worship have been demolished nationwide. Most were Hindu temples that have existed since colonial days.

Rights group Hindu Rights Action Force, which recorded 74 cases of eviction and demolition, cited the Hindu's constitutional right to freedom of religion. Its arguments have fallen on deaf ears to date.

A Chinese temple in Penang and a surau in Selangor were also demolished, prompting the respective communities to react in outrage.

As the tensions played out, umbrella body for Hindu associations Malaysian Hindu Sangam brokered a deal to buy time for affected temples.

Realising the volatility of the situation, the Attorney-General's Chambers are conducting a fact-finding study .

WHAT'S NEXT: The fate of many temples remains uncertain as eviction notices have already been issued.

7. On the shady side of Selangor

THE ISSUE: If three local councils in Selangor were attempting to close an eye to public resentment over their decisions, they were in for an eye-opener.

The Klang council was severely embarrassed by the episode involving Zakaria Mat Deros among other appointed councillors - an intrigue of private mansions being built without planning approval and businesses being conducted in unapproved premises.

Another scandal erupted when the Sepang and Subang Jaya municipal councils compelled business owners to use the services of 'approved' pest control operators as a condition of licences being issued or renewed.

After an uproar over the exorbitant cost and the fact that most of the operators were not accredited pest control service providers, the two councils backed down.

The Sultan had to eventually intervene, to 'advise' Zakaria not to accept a fresh tenure as councillor , but also to instruct all 2,000 civil servants in the state not to upset his subjects through abuse of power and dereliction of duty.

The state government's 'zero-squatter' policy saw more homes and places of worship of the poor and disenfranchised being bulldozed. With the help of activists, they have not kept quiet either.

WHAT'S NEXT: Having smelt the heady scent of victory, a more vigilant corps of ratepayers can now hold Selangor Maju local councils to higher standards of service and accountability.

8. Alarm bells over media mergers

THE ISSUE: Two moves in quick succession left the media world in a tizzy, as owners of various dailies moved to merge their operations.

On Oct 17, statements from Bursa Malaysia and Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MCA revealed that the latter would sell 21.02 percent of its controlling 44.4 percent stake in Nanyang Press Holdings - which publishes Chinese dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press - to Sarawak timber tycoon and media baron Tiong Hiew King.

Tiong's company Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd publishes two top-selling Chinese newspapers Sin Chew Daily and Guangming Daily . His acquisition of Nanyang Press shares would allow him to control 87 percent of Chinese daily readership in the peninsula and 86 percent of the advertisement revenue.

NGOs, Chinese community leaders and students scrambled to launch an anti-monopoly campaign that included public forums, a nationwide sit-in protest and an unprecedented virtual demonstration. They urged Tiong and MCA to dispose of their Nanyang Press shares, while calling for a parliamentary select committee on communication rights.

A month later, another merger proposal caught everyone short. The nation's two main player - New Straits Times Press Bhd controlled by media giant Media Prima Bhd and Utusan Melayu owned by Umno - were to form the country's largest media conglomerate with Umno to be the main controller.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave the marriage his blessings, but Umno leaders and the grassroots were less forthcoming. They are worried that Utusan Malaysia would lose its identity as the Malay community's mouthpiece after the merger.

WHAT'S NEXT: MCA Youth, having pledged support for a select committee, will be pitted against its parent party and BN, in bringing this to pass. Tiong's empire will be closely monitored for elements of interference in editorial operations, while Umno has it all to do if it wants the 'NeST-UM merger' to proceed next month as planned.

9. Murder of a Mongolian

THE ISSUE: It was a crime that has thrown up more questions than answers at this stage. In October, Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibu, 28, was reportedly killed execution style and her body blown up with explosives .

News reports leaked the details of the police investigations in a case that is seemingly linked to high politics, given the identity of those who have since been charged.

Renown political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 46, has claimed trial to abetting two Special Forces Unit personnel, who are charged with Altantuya's murder. The case is set to begin on Jan 5 at the Shah Alam High Court.

Abdul Razak is a close confidante of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also the defence minister. In 2002, the analyst's name was mentioned in Parliament, as having brokered the purchase of Scorpene submarines by the Royal Malaysian Navy. The deal is estimated to be worth US$800 million.

The Mongolian premier, Parliament and several NGOs are keeping tabs on the trial, to ensure that it remains free of "political influence", but the Malaysian prime minister has pledged that there will be no cover up.

WHAT'S NEXT: The trial holds out promise for saucy, even sensitive, details as the three accused fight for their lives. Conspiracy theorists will look for clues to support their analysis of who, what, when, where, why and how.

10. Law catches up with VIP speedsters

THE ISSUE: Statistics did not lie in the case of unpaid traffic summonses tracked under Ops Warta IV. The records showed that the prime minister and several of his senior cabinet ministers were in arrears.

Malaysiakini broke the news that Abdullah had failed to pay 11 summonses involving fines of RM1,000, but he then settled the amount.

It was also found that Johor crown prince Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar , International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz , Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman, and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had over 100 unpaid summonses to their names.

Another 18 ministers had almost 1,000 unpaid summonses among them, amounting to over RM115,000 in fines. Works Minister Samy Vellu took pole position with 143 summonses involving RM17,000.

The arrears stretched back many years to various locations and involved multiple vehicles. Many of the VIP speedsters claimed that the vehicles could have been used by other parties.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ordered everyone to pay up, but he and several ministers had outstanding summonses when the traffic operations were concluded.

WHAT'S NEXT: Perhaps malaysiakini editors will be 'invited' to a meeting during which they will be 'advised' to play down such sensitive issues!

More to come: Thursday - X-files , and Saturday - Newsmaker of the Year .

Article prepared by the malaysiakini team .