Malaysian tribunal meets to investigate claims of electoral misconduct
Today marks the first meeting of the Malaysian tribunal formed to investigate allegations of misconduct on the part of the country’s Electoral Commission during last May’s parliamentary elections.
The Electoral Commission came under fire in the runup to the elections for its controversial redrawing of electoral boundaries to benefit incumbent PM Najib Razak of the Barisan National coalition, which had ruled the country for almost six decades but was dethroned in a major upset by Mahathir Mohamad’s Alliance of Hope. Likewise, democratic watchdogs raised concerns that voter rolls had been stacked in favour of Razak. The groups claim major irregularities affected hundreds of thousands of registered voters, especially those in marginal constituencies.
Electoral fraud aside, Razak and members of his Barisan National coalition on trial for billions of dollars of embezzlement, jeopardising the party’s political future. Moving forward, expect the new government to focus heavily on investment, especially in education and youth employment, by relying more heavily on revenues from state oil company Petronas. In the medium to long-term, if the coalition wishes to be politically successful, its diverse group of parties will have to overcome their initial squabbles to produce balanced budgets and consistent investment.
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