From top: Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the central fi gure in Malaysia’s 2018
general elections; a snapshot of the Pakatan Harapan rally where thousands turned up
to listen to Mahathir’s speech during his campaign1MDB. Draconian laws were used to
shut down Malaysian publications
that investigated the 1MDB case, even
as people took to the streets to voice
their unhappiness.
Public anger seethed to boiling
point, also fuelled by the unpopular
goods and services tax, which many
linked to the rising cost of living. But
even as people took to the streets to
voice their unhappiness through rallies
and protests, with the 2018 general
election approaching, Barisan Nasional
remained confi dent of victory in the
country’s 14th trip to the polls. Why?
One reason the elections had always
gone in the ruling coalition’s favour
was that the Electoral Commission,
which runs the electoral process,
is overseen by the Prime Minister’s
Offi ce. Also, gerrymandering was
common, along with the use of dirty
tactics such as phantom voters.
Amid the 1MDB-linked anger
and upheaval of 2018, 92-year-old
Mahathir Mohamad came out of
retirement to rally the opposition.
Often branded by the press as an
autocrat and dictator during his stint
as prime minister from 1981 to 2003,
he had been Najib’s political mentor
and had groomed him as his successor.
But they fell out bitterly over the
1MDB scandal.
To take on Barisan Nasional,
Mahathir formed his own political
party and reconciled with former
opposition leaders—including those
he had put behind bars—to create
a coalition called Pakatan Harapan
(Alliance of Hope). His return to
politics and peacemaking with former
political foes, such as Anwar Ibrahim
and Lim Kit Siang, inspired Malaysians
to speak with a resounding voice
through the ballot box, ousting
Barisan Nasional after 61 years at the
helm of the country.
As the dramatic 2018 election
campaign unfolded, Dian Lee
and Ineza Roussille were there
to document the historic events.
Together with Oscar-winning
producer Ruby Yang, they created
M for Malaysia, a compelling
documentary that tells a story of hope,
reconciliation and people power.192 singapore tatler. october 2019