Articles - Bridget Welsh

It’s raining money in Sarawak

May 6, 2016

From projects and vote-buying to patronage and betting, money politics in Sarawak is raining everywhere. But, as Bridget Welsh reports, there is little concern for the long-term damages as candidates and voters seek to cash in.

Stopping ‘change’: Sarawak’s electoral battlegrounds

May 5, 2016

Bridget Welsh on the the slowly-shifting sands of the Sarawak political landscape and what it means for the 7 May election.

‘Same old’ in Sarawak campaign

May 3, 2016

Billed as one of the most important elections in the Malaysian state’s history, Sarawak heads to the polls on 7 May. But the campaign has sent confusing messages and failed to inspire voters, reports Bridget Welsh.

Malaysia’s democratic pause

October 28, 2008

Malaysian politics is at present an intriguing mixture of stasis and flux. The most high-profile issue in September-October 2008 has been the failure of leading opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim to deliver his promise to find enough numbers to create a majority in parliament and as a result create a more representative government.

Malaysian Prime Minister Announces Resignation

October 8, 2008

The prime minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said on Wednesday that he would step down in March 2009. His departure would pave the way for his chosen successor to take control of a governing party that appears to be losing its grip after five decades in power.

Political Turmoil in Malaysia

September 30, 2008

Malaysia has been in a political flux since March 2008 when the long-governing multiethnic coalition lost its two-thirds majority in the parliament. The biggest party in the coalition, United Malays National Organization, has ruled Malaysia for fifty-one years, first under the leadership of Mahathir Mohamad, and since 1993, under current Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. But recently, calls for Abdullah’s resignation (BBC) have grown louder and the opposition under Anwar Ibrahim has been claiming power.