Leaning on the politics of fear


Issa Rae as President of Barbieland, surrounded by other Barbies, in a scene from 'Barbie' the movie. The columnist sees a similar dissonance between what we say and what we mean, and what people think we mean, in the movie and the recent state elections in Malaysia. — Warner Bros Pictures/Tribune News Service

The first couple of weeks in August 2023 saw some interesting conversations in my WhatsApp neighbourhood group, ahead of the elections in six Peninsular Malaysian states on Aug 12.

The incumbent representative of my state, despite having won five years ago with nearly 90% of the vote, was being questioned by residents. They believed we needed to show him that we could change our vote.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Living

How Seoul city's gentrification threatens free meal centre
Heart and Soul: Remembering Lavania Baloo, our bravehearted soul sister
Malaysian chef Linn Yong champions sustainable Sabah ingredients
Heart and Soul: Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, a journey beyond limits
RM1,530 for a coffee? Scottish farm sells Britain's most expensive cup of Joe
Glenfiddich Invites Malaysian Mavericks To Ask Themselves, ‘Where Next?’
Traditional Sabahan recipes get the spotlight at Oitom by chef Raphael Peter Lee
Meet Wanda, the machine that collects and separates trash for recycling
Hide KL takes you on a delicious modern Malaysian odyssey with its latest menu
How these US children with special needs got to 'walk on water'

Others Also Read