Photo: Free Malaysia Today

Thanks to Free Malaysia Today for their fantastic coverage of an op-ed of mine on the Malaysia elections that has been published in The Interpreter by the Lowy Institute. It’s a little sensationalist – I don’t think bawang are that bad – but obviously my piece had some kind of impact, so that’s great.

GE14 debate about onions, not substantive policies, says report

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN), opposition leaders and voters continue to talk about the general election, but something is sorely lacking in the content, says a report published by a think tank.

What’s missing is public policy debate or any form of storytelling about Malaysia’s post-2013 trajectory, according to the analysis by Amrita Malhi in The Interpreter, a publication of the Lowy Institute, an independent, nonpartisan think tank based in Sydney.

Amrita quoted an unnamed person as saying: “They are focused on the price of bawang (onions).”

Those she spoke to pointed out the frustrations of a group of young people on Twitter, called the #UndiRosak movement, who call on voters to protest by lodging spoiled ballot papers.

Amrita noted that although everyone was talking about politics, it seemed as though Malaysian voters had lost their appetite for it.

She added however that looks could be deceiving as the contest was on and Malaysians were considering the various possibilities as they prepare for the polls which must be held by August.

Amrita said Malaysians were talking about various scenarios: blocs might split or swing, states might change governments, voters on either side may or may not come out to vote, internal faction fights might cause leadership spills, royal families might intervene or perhaps back the wrong team, and Sabah and Sarawak might side with whichever grouping won the most seats in Peninsular Malaysia.

Sometimes, the talk is darker, “even conspiratorial”, including whether Prime Minister Najib Razak has a Plan B should his majority narrow and whether this includes working with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. There is also talk about what Najib might be willing to offer PAS if he’s forced to rely on its support to win the election.

Others feel that the messages this election are too confusing and too tactical.

“It looks, sounds, and feels as though the election is boring everyone to tears,” Amrita said.

“If the election is viewed only through the prism of polling, where the numbers are with the government, there is no contest.

“Yet if conversations I’ve had are any guide, under this surface boredom, a quiet current of contestation is circulating via word of mouth and on the encrypted WhatsApp.”

Amrita said both BN and opposition pact Pakatan Harapan were making use of social media to get their messages across.

“Both sides have engaged international consultants, and each can deduce what the other is doing, can sense its weak spots being hit while its opponents move against it, protected by WhatsApp’s encryption.”