Mak Bedah – Aunties on the street in Malaysia encourage the people to vote
The weekend’s Malaysian general elections saw major upheaval in the nation’s power structures with opposition wresting control of an unprecedented 5 out of 13 states. While the ruling National Front coalition remains in government, it secured just over 51% of the popular vote and lost its grip on the crucial two thirds majority for the first time in nearly forty years. This has compromised the ruling party’s mandate to pass legislation unopposed, while giving a resurgent opposition a greater voice in parliament. This in an election which revolved around equality and fair access to the media, or lack thereof. Malaysia’s culture of media blackouts and government control have forced opposition figures and NGO’s to resort to innovative measures to circumvent the restrictions. Arguably no one has done this more imaginatively that the Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI) and its novel awareness campaign, the Mak Bedah project.