Inter-Research And Studies (IRAS)

The upcoming 13th parliamentary seating which will soon commence its first session will see some intense debates from both sides of the political divide. Both the Barisan Nasional (BN), that is the governing coalition and Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the opposition coalition had indeed made history for themselves. BN with its reduced majority under a minority government status (based on its lesser percentage of votes received nationwide) and PR with its dramatic increased representation in the parliament which had never happened in the past. What are expected here are bill, laws and issues that are to be tabled or forwarded to the parliament would see an intense debate. To get the bill and laws through, it is by simple majority, but again, it is certain that the oppositions would not let it through that easy. On the other side, the BN members of parliament (MPs) and its government ministers would not be feeling the comfort that they have been enjoying decades ago. The parliamentary su...

What is the mind of the public? How do opinions, attitudes and beliefs of citizens affect the policy making of political elites? What motivates citizens to vote or not to vote and why do they vote the way they do? Are voters oriented more towards issues or towards the personality of particular candidates or is their vote an expression of long standing loyalty to a particular party or leader, regardless of its candidates or position on the major issues of the day? If voters perceive a discrepancy or inconsistency between these various categories eg between party loyalty and the party's candidates, how are they likely to behave? And how do various orientations of voters relate to their level of formal education; the extent of their political knowledge; their age, sex, race, religion, profession, income and place of residence and the opinions of their close friends and relatives? What explains a voter's shift in political allegiance between elections or his willingness to vote for...