Comments in the Sydney Morning Herald: A new era for Malaysia

11/03/201826/07/2019 - Amrita Leave a comment

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad addresses a press conference (Photo: Bloomberg).

My analysis of the challenges facing the new Malaysian government led by new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been featured in an article by James Massola in The Sydney Morning Herald. I’m optimistic about a peaceful transition of power for Malaysia, and despite this being the end of 61 years of uninterrupted one-party rule, this new Mahathir-led government is not inexperienced, with plenty of old-school members in the ranks since the 1990s.

Comments in the Southeast Asia Globe: The enemy of my enemy is my friend

11/11/201626/07/2019 - Amrita Leave a comment

Mahathir (left) and Anwar (Photo: Reuters).

My thoughts have been included in a great piece by Holly Robertson in the Southeast Asia Globe on the unlikely renewed alliance between Anwar Ibrahim and Mahathir Mohamad, an alliance born of both men agreeing that their much larger, mutual problem of Prime Minister Najib Razak is worth combining forces over.

Comment: People-friendly budget to save Najib’s reputation?

21/10/201626/07/2019 - Amrita Leave a comment

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, 27 September 2016. (Photo: EPA/Bernd Von Jutrczenka)

I was happy to give Logan Connor some comments for his article today in the Southeast Asia Globe, which talked about Najib using social welfare programs in the 2017 budget as a way to salvage his damaged reputation. You can read the full article here, and I’ve put my contribution below.

“Najib’s reputation has certainly been dented, yet it appears he is taking the view that offence is the best defence. It seems he will campaign on a mixture of issues related to Malay Muslim uplift, such as social welfare and mobility, and Malay Muslim unity.”

Malaysia’s New National Security Powers

27/07/201610/09/2016 - Amrita Leave a comment

Photo: EPA/Fazry Ismail, selected by Southeast Asia Globe.

I’ve made some comments in the Southeast Asia Globe on Malaysia’s new National Security Council Act. My comments were:

“The powers in the National Security Council act are so wide-ranging that they permit almost any public activity to be construed as a threat to national security, with potentially devastating consequences,” said Amrita Malhi, a researcher on Malaysia based at the University of Adelaide.

Though the act was ostensibly promoted as a response to Islamic terrorism, Malhi told Southeast Asia Globe measures were already in place that allowed the government to prosecute extremists. She added that the act could potentially be used to counter “any challenge to the position of the current government”.

The full story is available from Southeast Asia Globe.

The Australian on Malaysia’s Media Crackdown

17/03/201610/09/2016 - Amrita Leave a comment

Image: The Australian.

The Australian’s Amanda Hodge has published a story quoting my most recent New Mandala piece on Malaysia’s arrest and detention of Four Corners journalist Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu, along with broader issues of media freedom and public criticism.

Hodge has been doing some excellent work on Malaysia lately.

My quotes are:

Amrita Malhi, a researcher and writer on Southeast Asian politics and history, said Ms Bishop’s decision to frame the Four Corners team’s detention “as an issue of freedom of speech in democracies” secured their release, though the Malaysian government has denied that.

Malaysia still wants to be seen as a democratic nation, notwithstanding recent rollbacks, just as its close ally Australia needs to believe that it is.

“In the context of these interconnected interests, Bishop’s statement that democracies should uphold their commitment to freedom of speech has carried sufficient weight to produce a change of heart from the Malaysian government,” Dr Malhi wrote in ANU’s New Mandala.