GE13 Malaysia – Farish Noor

Greg Lopez, New Mandala

1.       What do you think will be the most important issue that the new government must address?

National reconciliation and the re-emphasis on nation-building, education and foreign policy on the basis of universal citizenship and that idea that ALL Malaysians are Malaysian CITIZENS.

2.       What do you think is Barisan Nasional’s greatest strength?

Its power-sharing policies and culture of compromise between the parties, recognition that no component party can/should go on its own.

3.       What do you think is Barisan Nasional’s greatest weakness?

Handbag stories, cow stories, etc. All of these will be used against it as BN is facing a subaltern class war by the opposition.

4.       What do you think is Pakatan Rakyat’s greatest strength?

Anwar Ibrahim. He unites as much as he divides.

5.       What do you think is Pakatan Rakyat’s greatest weakness?

Anwar Ibrahim. He unites as much as he divides.

Farish Noor (Badrol Hisham Ahmad-Noor) is Associate Professor for the Research Cluster on Contemporary Islam in Southeast Asia at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

New Mandala is asking Malaysians and Malaysianists worldwide their views on the two coalitions vying for power at the 13th general election in Malaysia. Their responses are published unedited.