Newsmaker of 2018 Award

15

Abdul Hadi Awang

The conservative PAS leader who adopted Umno’s racial politics in the bid to remain relevant among Malay-Muslim voters.

Scored 11,143 pts

14

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

The man who was next-in-line to be prime minister instead became leader of a once-mighty party now on the brink of collapse.

Scored 13,220 pts

13

Maszlee Malik

The education minister who got brickbats for his black shoes and black socks for school suggestion among others.

Scored 15,157 pts

12

Daim Zainuddin

Mahathir’s right-hand man who led the five-member Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) tasked with advising the new government on the economy.

Scored 16,101 pts

11

Shafie Apdal

Former Umno vice-president and now Sabah chief minister who set up Warisan to challenge his former party in his home state and won.

Scored 16,152 pts

10

Amar Singh

The recently retired Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief gained instant fame for leading the raids on MO1-linked residences unearthing a haul of super-expensive handbags, gems and cash.

Scored 17,596 pts

9

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail

Malaysia’s first woman deputy prime minister and until recently, the leader of PKR.

Scored 18,317 pts

8

Rosmah Mansor

Mrs “MO1” and self-anointed First Lady of Malaysia (Flom) whose love for luxury bags and flashy bling-bling is legendary.

Scored 19,009 pts

7

Tommy Thomas

Top constitutional lawyer named the first non-Malay attorney-general since the formation of Malaysia.

Scored 19,075 pts

6

Jho Low aka the ‘Whale’

The cherubic young financier who allegedly syphoned billions of ringgit from the country’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB.

Scored 19,853 pts

5

Najib Abdul Razak

The ousted premier, dubbed as “Malaysian Official 1” (MO1) by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and linked to what it called ‘kleptocracy at its worst’.

Scored 19,956 pts

4

Anwar Ibrahim

Having spent almost nine years in prison for two separate sodomy convictions, he is now prime minister-in-waiting for the second time in his political career.

Scored 20,203 pts

3

Lim Guan Eng

DAP leader and former Penang chief minister who became the first non-Malay finance minister in more than 40 years.

Scored 20,962 pts

2

Dr Mahathir Mohamad

He’s back – love him or hate him, he stunned the world by pulling off a stunning election victory which no one saw coming least of all the incumbent government.

Scored 24,197 pts

1

The winner is...

Malaysian voters

You and all Malaysians who voted for a new government on May 9, 2018, and created history.

Scored 24,881 pts