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Another defeat, same message
17 years later, the wait for justice continues
Series of shocks fuel warnings of Malay tsunami
Another defeat, same message
Electoral setbacks, and the reminders about the cost of straying from its path, have become an all-too-familiar routine for Pakatan Harapan.
The same message rang out after the coalition's latest electoral misadventure in Negeri Sembilan, its third defeat since the Sabah polls last November, following the Johor election setback last month.
Not mincing words, PKR lawmaker Wong Chen declared: “Reap what you sow.” Hinting that the time had come for him to chart a new political course, the Subang MP blamed the defeat on Harapan’s willingness to compromise its principles in the pursuit of political survival.
Former DAP MP Charles Santiago warned that Harapan risked bleeding even more votes if it continued to mishandle the cost of living, institutional reforms and issues affecting Indian Malaysians.
Similarly, another former DAP MP, Ong Kian Ming, urged Harapan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to refocus on delivering the political and institutional reforms they had promised while in opposition, instead of relying on short-term political tactics that had failed to win over voters.
Offering a more optimistic note, PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh, in her message marking the party’s 23rd anniversary on Aug 3, said the struggle was far from over and that the party’s spirit remained resolute.
Pundits, however, paint a grim picture of what lies ahead.
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Series of shocks fuel warnings of Malay tsunami
The 16th general election could mark a two-decade setback for Pakatan Harapan if BN-Perikatan Nasional’s momentum continues to build and its “Malay unity” narrative transforms into a full-blown electoral tsunami, powerful enough to drown Selangor and crash into the shores of Penang.
The Negeri Sembilan election offered an early glimpse of the forces driving the BN-PN partnership, with voters rallying behind the pact’s communal messaging, strong anti-DAP sentiment and growing dissatisfaction over the perception that the Harapan-led Madani government has failed to deliver meaningful improvements to their daily lives.
The results on Aug 1 revealed a striking alignment between BN and PN supporters. The combined vote share secured by the two coalitions closely mirrored their performance in GE15, suggesting a high degree of vote transferability between the former rivals.
A Malaysiakini analysis using this voting pattern and projecting it nationwide across the peninsula found that if BN and PN are able to retain their GE15 support levels into GE16, the alliance could capture 122 parliamentary seats - 10 more than the 112 needed for a simple majority.
Such a result would allow BN-PN to form the federal government without relying on support from parties in Sabah and Sarawak, potentially reshaping the country’s political landscape for years to come.
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17 years later, the wait for justice continues
Seventeen years after Teoh Beng Hock’s tragic death, the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) has launched the “Email Anwar” campaign, urging Malaysians to write to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and demand that he keep his promise to the family.
The campaign calls on the government to reveal the findings of its investigation into Teoh’s death and explain why, after all these years, no one has been held criminally accountable.
“Anwar’s promise to the Teoh family came with a clear deadline, and that two-year deadline has now passed.
“He must give the family and the Malaysian public an open and honest account of the investigation’s findings. This promise must not be allowed to become another empty promise,” said TBH-ADA chairperson Koong Hui Yein.
Teoh, then an aide to Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead in 2009 after being questioned overnight at the Selangor MACC office, then located at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.
The campaign is available in English, Malay, and Chinese.
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