

Ones to Watch #8 - Can youth revive a party?
The Malaysian Indian Congress won all four seats it contested in the recent Johor elections, with its youngest newly minted ADUN only 29 years old. For a party almost wiped off the electoral map in 2018, can it be revived? We speak to Dr Shatesh Kumar, National Chief of Putera MIC, if youth can pla…

Why We Need to Move Towards a Wellbeing Economy
Since the end of World War II, but particularly since the end of the cold war, much of the world has used GDP or Gross Domestic Product to measure economic health and progress. However, the past several decades show us that economic growth doesn’t necessarily translate into an economy that delivers…

Ones to Watch #7 - How do youth persevere in politics?
Most youth who run for elections will lose their first try. Why do some candidates keep trying, while some others exit politics? We speak to Rashifa Aljunied, who placed third as MUDA's candidate in Puteri Wangsa in the recent Johor state elections on her journey and why she's continuing her politi…

Could ‘Solidarity’ Be the Antidote to Identity Politics?
Following a series of electoral defeats in Sabah, Johor and most recently Negeri Sembilan, questions are being asked about the future and direction of Pakatan Harapan, including what they’ve been doing wrong and what needs to be done moving forward. In a recent post, Rajiv Rishyakaran, DAP member a…

Ones to Watch #6 - Can Student Activists become Good Politicians?
Our student movements have fed our parties for generations, from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of UM and ABIM to Adam Adli, who now sits in Cabinet. But every activist who makes that crossing faces the same question. Do you change politics, or does politics change you? We speak to Zaim Zulkifli, mem…

Lessons From Anthony Loke’s Defeat in Chennah
One of the big stories coming out of Pakatan Harapan’s defeat in the recent Negeri Sembilan state elections is the loss of DAP’s secretary general, Anthony Loke, in the Chennah seat. He first won the seat in 2013 from Barisan Nasional’s MCA and, after 13 years, lost the seat to MCA again. In light …

Ones to Watch #5 - How Do Youth Rise Within a Party?
How does a youth member rise to leadership within a political party? What is the ladder? Who holds it? And how long is the climb? We speak to Azman Azeez, Exco of Pemuda UMNO Malaysia in charge of leadership and membership development, to learn how our oldest party recruits its young talent. Ima…

Why Providing Free Breakfast in Schools Should Be a National Priority
The Selangor state government has announced a free breakfast programme for schoolchildren, which is scheduled to begin in August. It is aimed at ensuring students have access to nutritious meals before they begin their school day with a target of reaching 120,000 pupils in 965 schools. Former K…

Ones to Watch #4 - City Councillorship as a Stepping Stone for Politicians?
City councillors are the unsung champions of local politics, covering a wide range of jurisdictions such as infrastructure and development. Is serving the community a good first step into national politics for youth? We speak to Nalina Nair, Petaling Jaya City Councillor and Publicity Secretary for…

PSM Keeps Losing Elections. So Why Do They Still Contest?
Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia Description: Socialism has been gaining renewed attention around the world. In the English-speaking world, figures like Zohran Mamdani in the US and Zack Polanski in the UK have brought socialist ideas back into mainstream …