Drawing from his expertise in policy-making, Steven Wong reflects on past crises Malaysia has faced and what they offer for responding to COVID-19.
Areas where he has performed well and where he has fallen short.
Factionalism in Bersatu is shaping national politics in the same way UMNO?s factionalism did decades earlier, writes our guest. But how did the relatively small and new Bersatu came to have such an impact on the stability of the current government? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Bridget Welsh,
When the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, or Bersatu, was set up in September 2016, both Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin were on the same side – both rejecting Umno and the kleptocracy of the Najib Razak government. Last week, after one leader instructed his ally to sack the other leader and another leader claimed he would sack the first leader, the escalating squabble inside the party showed the public the deep split that extends beyond the two men.
Join a discussion of Sarawak’s response to COVID-19 and the unique challenges the state faces with Dr. Sim Kui-Hian. From addressing the rural-urban divide to managing vulnerabilities and Sarawak’s long border with neighbors, Dr. Sim lays out the approaches the state has taken. He highlights the role of technology and cooperation with the local community.
Bridget Welsh is currently Honorary Research Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M) based in Kuala Lumpur. She is also a Senior Research Associate of the Hu Feng Center for East Asia Democratic Studies of National Taiwan University and a Senior Associate Fellow of The Habibie Center. She specializes in Southeast Asian politics, with a focus on Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Indonesia. She is committed to fostering engagement, mutual understanding and empowerment.
