Articles - Bridget Welsh

Victory and insecurity: Sarawak results and trajectories

May 13, 2016

Taken from New Mandala With the ‘landslide’ results of the Sarawak election last week, it would appear on the surface that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been given a political reprieve. His close ally Sarawak’s Chief Minister Adenan Satem secured an overwhelming majority of 72 out of 82

A ‘fixed’ result – Sarawak’s electoral distortions

May 7, 2016

As Sarawakians head to the polls today, it is important to understand that the BN-created electoral constituencies in the state will significantly impact the result. Malaysia’s non-independent Electoral Commission (EC) has staked the system in its favour in how it has delineated and recently redrawn the state’s electoral boundaries.

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.