For the longest time, particularly since the late 90s, then-opposition parties from PKR to DAP to PAS campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and anti-cronyism, against the Barisan Nasional. This only intensified during former, disgraced Prime Minister Najib Razak’s time in power and the 1MDB scandal. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.

The question is, how much do these parties actually practice the transparency and accountability they once demanded of others?

Recently, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), published a paper on the transparency index of political parties in Malaysia.

In this episode, we speak to one of the co-authors of the paper, Dr Haris Zuan, from UKM, about what the findings reveal regarding internal democracy and financial transparency within Malaysia’s major political parties.


Image credit: Shutterstock

For the longest time, particularly since the late 90s, then-opposition parties from PKR to DAP to PAS campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and anti-cronyism, against the Barisan Nasional. This only intensified during former, disgraced Prime Minister Najib Razak’s time in power and the 1MDB scandal. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.The question is, how much do these parties actually practice the transparency and accountability they once demanded of others?Recently, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), published a paper on the transparency index of political parties in Malaysia.In this episode, we speak to one of the co-authors of the paper, Dr Haris Zuan, from UKM, about what the findings reveal regarding internal democracy and financial transparency within Malaysia’s major political parties. Image credit: Shutterstock

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. 
On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

Beyond the Ballot Box

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.