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”.

Malaysiakini has nominated 12 candidates for the newsmaker of 2014 award. A total of 1,200 participated in the seven-day poll, 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.

This year, Malaysiakini readers paid tribute to the 537 passengers and crew members who perished in the Malaysia Airlines twin disasters - MH370 which disappeared in the southern Indian Ocean and MH17 which was shot down, allegedly with a missile, in Ukraine.

Should AirAsia’s QZ8501, which crashed last Sunday, be included in the survey, it too will likely be recognised.

Meanwhile, the No 2 spot is taken by Anwar Ibrahim, the key figure in Pakatan Rakyat who may soon face yet another jail term. Anwar is followed by the mercurial former Selangor menteri besar, Khalid Ibrahim - the man who sparked the Kajang Move crisis and the split between PKR-DAP and PAS.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has again hogged the headlines throughout the year, is at No 4.

Mahathir, who has won the award twice - in 2005 and 2006 (with Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz) - is one of the few personalities regularly nominated for ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ over the past decade.

Another regular is the winner of last year’s award, Rosmah Mansor, wife of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is at No 5 this year. She is ranked higher than her husband, who is at No 7 spot.

At the bottom of the list is the Perkasa-Isma combo, Ibrahim Ali and Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman - the duo who have declared war on the country’s ethnic and religious minorities.

The full list

1. Passengers and crew of MH370 and MH17

8,588 points

2. Anwar Ibrahim , opposition leader

7,991

3. Khalid Ibrahim , former Selangor MB

6,147

4. Dr Mahathir Mohamad , former PM

6,023

5. Rosmah Mansor , wife of PM Najib