Malaysians voted Tuesday in special elections seen as a benchmark of support for the new prime minister, who has pledged far-reaching administrative and social reforms to revive the government's support. Full Story »
Posted by Tshiung Han See
An unbalanced, unfair view of events. The piece does not even mention that former Prime Minister Mahathir has rejoined the ruling party after falling out with his successor: a milestone of sorts. Two quotes in the piece: one from a truck driver, another from the Trade Minister. Neither capture the sense of anticipation that seems to be running through the country right now.
Opposition leaders have dismissed Najib’s moves as a political ploy. However, the opposition’s luster has faded over the past year amid slow results in four states it now rules.
The writers don’t fully represent the arguments against the new PM.
On Monday, he urged the largely government controlled local media to be critical of the government’s shortcomings without “fear of consequences.”
The writers fail to mention that two opposition newsletters (Suara Keadilan and Harakah) have been banned in the run up to these by-elections. This may sway a reader’s evaluation of this move. I now see the subtlety of the wording: “largely government controlled local media.” The bias in the sentence is hard to detect.
I agree that this by-election is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, but the perception of his actions--before even taking the PMship--have by and large been called into question. Not least by Najib's connection to the murder of a Mongolian woman.