Hello.
Things are starting to heat up as Malaysia gears up for six state elections, with nomination day taking place tomorrow and polling on Aug 12.
The regional elections are seen as a referendum on Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s eight-month-old administration, and the stakes could not be any higher for him. Less frequently discussed is how the polls pose the same political risk for Muhyiddin Yassin, head of the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, says Asian studies professor James Chin.
In Singapore, another election race is also heating up, with former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam launching his bid to be Singapore’s “President for a new era”. Fellow presidential hopefuls Ng Kok Song and George Goh were also out and about at various events, reasserting themselves as being free of any political affiliations.
Meanwhile in China, the mystery around the disappearance and abrupt ousting of China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang continues. The abrupt way in which Mr Qin was kicked to the kerb, and the silence from officials around his month-long absence, has just created turbulence and disorientation in China’s diplomacy, says foreign policy adviser Christian Le Miere.
We hope you enjoy our selection of commentaries this week.
Alison Jenner
Supervising Editor, Commentary
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.jpg?itok=GHGWX5cb "Malaysia gears up for regional polls 35")
