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#MalaysiaBaharu: one year into ‘new Malaysia’, but the same old Mahathir Mohamad?
- Euphoria for some, dismay for others as Malaysia marks the Pakatan Harapan’s historic election victory over the Barisan Nasional
- Critics say prime minister’s second stint in power is beginning to resemble his first – when he ruled with an iron fist – and highlight falling approval ratings
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It was a mixed bag of emotions in Malaysia on Thursday as the country marked the first anniversary of a dramatic election that swept former strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad back to power and toppled a regime that had governed the country since the 1950s.
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Online, supporters of Prime Minister Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan were revelling in nostalgia for their audacious victory over the Barisan Nasional coalition led by Najib Razak, who is currently on trial accused of involvement in a multibillion-dollar financial scandal at the state fund 1MDB.
Najib’s supporters meanwhile scoffed at the euphoria, saying that slumping approval ratings for the new government suggested a resurgence of their bloc, which had governed the country from 1957 until that fateful Wednesday last May.
Circulating on social media were videos of Mahathir’s victory speech in the early hours of May 10 – made after results from the polls a day earlier were delayed by Barisan Nasional-friendly election officials.
The hashtag “MalaysiaBaharu” – new Malaysia – was also trending.
The term entered Malaysian political lexicon hours after last year’s election, as Pakatan Harapan supporters cheered the end of the scandal-tainted Najib government, which they blamed for bringing the country to the brink of bankruptcy.
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