“A week is a long time in politics” has often been quoted in reference to the number of politically significant events that can take place within a short span of time. When that time period is extended to one full year, not surprisingly, the number of politically significant events also increases. In the context of Malaysia, the political landscape continues to be dictated by attempts by the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN), to reassert its political dominance after historic electoral losses in the 2008 general election and by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition to fight off the challenges put forth by the BN and attempt to present itself as a credible alternative government in waiting.

For Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, 2010 was a year of building on the momentum of his 1Malaysia slogan and his Government Transformation Program (GTP) and on creating new momentum through his economic agenda, namely the New Economic Model (NEM) and the Economic Transformation Program (ETP). His ability to stay focused and “on-message” in marketing the key deliverables of his administration has no doubt contributed to a steady rise in his personal approval rankings. The strengthening of his political standing has had a positive effect for not just UMNO but also the other BN component parties, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, as evidenced by the BN by-election wins in the parliament seat of Hulu Selangor and the state seat of Galas, two seats formerly held by PR.

On the other hand, 2010 has been a year of constant struggle for Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition coalition. The grand narrative for PR for 2010 has been one of internal infighting and an inability to counter the incessant barrage of acronym-filled initiatives on the part of Najib. As a result, the standing of PR as a credible alternative to BN at the federal level has taken a significant dent.

This review of the Malaysian political landscape in 2010 will expand on and explain in greater detail the grand narrative of a resurgent Najib and the BN and a stumbling Anwar and PR.