POLL | It’s the end of the year, and Malaysiakini again lets its readers decide what they think are the most important news stories of 2020.

A total of 1,013 readers participated in this year’s survey.

They voted by entering a score on each of the 18 news items selected by Malaysiakini - from 0 (lowest interest) to 10 votes (highest).

Here are the top news of 2020…

Charged again: Corruption charges against former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and his wife, Betty Chew (4,845 votes)

Press under pressure: Malaysiakini’s contempt of court charge, Code Blue probed over hospital fire report, Al Jazeera attacked over documentary (5,336 votes)

Foreign workers under attack: Al Jazeera raid, immigration clampdown and Covid-19 outbreaks in camps, deportation of whistleblower Rayhan Kabir (5,630 votes)

Politics of race and religion: Distorted Bible, Kedah MB's toddy remarks, move to restrict liquor sale (5,755 votes)

A string of DNAAs: Riza Abdul Aziz, Musa Aman and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. Will there be more? (5,782 votes)

The Anwar Move: Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed to have “formidable majority” to oust PN, and so far failed to back it up (5,923 votes)

Budget 2021: Controversy over the supply bill vote, and the revival of Jasa along with RM85.5 million budget (6,071 votes)

Realignment of political forces: Bersatu, Umno, PAS, Pejuang, Muda, Warisan, GPS, PN, Muafakat, Harapan and more. Confused yet? (6,172 votes)

Never-ending water crisis: Selangor hit by water cuts time and again, mostly due to water pollution (6,232 votes)

Warisan ousted in Sabah: Defections in the Warisan government led to a state election in September. Bersatu-Umno and allies won (6,295 votes)

Flouting of quarantine: Ministers/MPs/VIPs ignored Covid SOP, including Khairuddin Aman Razali on his return from Turkey (6,722 votes)

Bid for emergency rule: Muhyiddin Yassin sought to impose emergency rule in the wake of Covid-19 third wave, but was rejected by Agong (6,783 votes)

The third wave: Sparked by Sabah state election in September, a new wave of Covid-19 hits record high in new cases (7,030 votes)

States change hands: The Sheraton Move resulted in changes at the state level - Johor, Malacca, Perak and Kedah (7,089 votes)

Nation under lockdown: MCO, CMCO, RMCO, EMCO - the various movement control orders that keep Malaysians at home (7,547 votes)

Covid-19 pandemic: The once-in-a-lifetime pandemic infected 70 million people and killed 1.6 million. Malaysia is not spared (8,036 votes)

Najib found guilty: Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak sentenced to 12 years’ jail for his case involving ex-1MDB subsidiary SRC (8,242 votes)

Sheraton Move and fall of Harapan: Azmin Ali led a group of PKR defectors to back Muhyiddin as PM after Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned (8,328 votes)

Tomorrow: Newsmakers of 2020