COMMENT | "Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy.” - F Scott Fitzgerald

My top picks of the top news makers and news stories for 2019 should tell us something about the state of our country. If you expected “ubah” (change) it was a depressing year.

Those who did not support the former Umno regime, but were sceptical or cynical of the Harapan regime would have had a great year. Their suspicions have been confirmed. Their sarcasm validated.

Harapan supporters, meanwhile, were reeling from the reality that the people they hoped could “save Malaysia” were turning their backs on the base and attempting to reestablish the old order, or they were too scared to go against the dogma and machinations of the establishment power structures.

What we were left with, was an endless news cycle of backtracking, weaselly worded apologia and spin that reaffirmed nativists agendas that were easier to carry out.

Having said that, these five news makers attempted to push back on the narratives of the state, and at the very least attempted to refocus the narrative on changing the system instead of rejuvenating a decaying system...