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 2021.

A total of 367 readers participated in this year’s survey.

They voted by entering a score on each of the 25 news items selected by Malaysiakini - from 0 (lowest interest) to 10 votes (highest).

Here are the top news of 2021…



Better Malaysia Assembly - Nazir Abdul Razak and 54 others seek a non-partisan platform to address institutional reforms (1,434 votes)


24. GPS still ‘raja’ in Sarawak polls – wins two-thirds majority (1,787 votes)


23. Legalisation of medical marijuana – government to allow cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes (1,898 votes)


22. Degazettement of Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve and flap over Bukit Cherakah forest and Shah Alam Community Forest (2,022 votes)


21. Custodial deaths back in limelight, among the victims was cow milk trader A Ganapathy (2,087 votes)


20. Umno back in the saddle – wins big in Malacca’s snap polls (2,151 votes)



19. Internal cracks in Pakatan Harapan and calls for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to resign (2,264 votes)



18. Sexual harassment in sports – former national swimmer Cindy Ong and diving champion Pandelela Rinong speak out (2,311 votes)


17. Pahang royalty involvement in Tasik Chini, Lynas PDF and Som forest projects (2,335 votes)


16. Period spot checks - controversy over physical checks of menstruating girls at educational institutions (2,336 votes)



15. Government-Pakatan Harapan MOU – unprecedented deal made to ensure some key reforms (2,342 votes)



14. Guilty of contempt– Malaysiakini fined RM500,000, raised the amount in four hours (2,384 votes)



13. Timah whiskey imbroglio – much ado with nothing (2,395 votes)


12. Declaration and lifting of the emergency and royals flexing powers (2,432 votes)



11. LRT train collision - Tajuddin Abdul Rahman described the horror crash as two trains 'kissing’ (2,464 votes)


10. Rape joke in class – 17-year-old Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam exposed a teacher for allegedly making lewd jokes. (2,472 votes)


9. Disturbance in the force - Abdul Hamid Bador’s resignation as IGP, police cartel and Geng Nicky (2,486 votes)


8. Top politicians freed - Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor acquitted of corruption, Ahmad Maslan acquitted of money laundering (2,492 votes)


7. Strike by contract doctors in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic (2,523 votes)


6. Pandora Papers - the rich, famous and powerful who have off-shore accounts (2,587 votes)


5. Najib Abdul Razak is still around - Court of Appeal verdict, RM100 million home, trip to Singapore (2,591 votes)


4. Covid pandemic continues - 30,000-plus death toll, vaccination drive, new variants and booster shots (2,633 votes)


3. Undi18 implemented at last – and automatic registration means millions more can vote (2,684 votes)


2. Fall of Muhyiddin Yassin, rise of Ismail Sabri Yaakob – a coup within a coup (2,824 votes)


1. Water world - devastating floods in Selangor and areas across the country due to a tropical depression (2,992 votes)


And the newsmaker of 2021 is…

And the newsmaker of 2021 is…