Every year, for over a decade, Malaysiakini has named a top newsmaker as we bring the curtain down on the year.

A newsmaker is defined as ‘someone whose actions make news headlines, who effects the course of public discourse and creates an impact in Malaysian politics, for better or worse'.

For 2012, Malaysiakini has nominated 10 individuals for readers to vote on. A total of 697 participated in the five-day survey, opened only to paying subscribers of the news portal.

They voted by indicating their preference for each of the nominees - one vote being the lowest and 10 the highest.

Interestingly this time around, Malaysiakini readers paid tribute to the individual who missed out on the newsmaker of the year award last year .

The award goes to...

And the newsmaker of 2012 is former Bar Council chairperson and Bersih co-coordinator Ambiga Sreenevasan - the woman who launched the mother of all protests.

Perhaps this did not come as a surprise as yesterday, Malaysiakini readers picked the Bersih 3.0 rally as the top news of 2012 .

PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli aka ‘cow slayer' came in second, followed closely by Himpunan Hijau leader Wong Tack .

The following are the full results:

NONE 1. S Ambiga - Senior lawyer and Bersih co-coordinator

6,438 votes

 

NONE 2. Rafizi Ramli - PKR director of strategy

5,480 votes

 

NONE 3. Wong Tack - leader of Himpunan Hijau

5,435 votes

 

NONE 4. Dataran Merdeka - the hallowed ground for all Malaysians

5,194 votes

NONE 5. A Samad Said - national laureate and Bersih co-coordinator

4,993 votes

NONE 6. Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and family - Wanita Umno chief, her husband and three children

4,037 votes

NONE 7. Rosmah Mansor - PM Najib Abdul Razak's wife

3,615 votes

NONE 8. Nazri Abdul Aziz - Minister in the PM's Department

2,416 votes

 

NONE 9. Mahathir Mohamad - former prime minister

2,206 votes

 

NONE 10. Chua Tee Yong - Labis MP and MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief

1,676 votes

 

Previous newsmakers

2011 - Bersih supporters

2010 - Ibrahim Ali

2009 - Teoh Beng Hock

2008 - YOU

2007 - VK Lingam

2006 - Mahathir Mohamad

2005 - Joint award - Rafidah Aziz and Mahathir Mohamad

2004 - S Samy Vellu

2003 - Husam Musa

2002 - Zainuddin Maidin

2001 - Rais Yatim