M FOR MALAYSIA
On May 9 last year, Malaysian voters ousted their government for the first time in six decades after former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad came out of retirement to rally opposition against the corruption-tainted rule of Najib Razak. Three women captured all the drama of the historic campaign in a feature documentary
Division is a recurring theme in history, and so it has been for Malaysia. For the six decades since the country won independence, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition maintained its grip on power through racial campaigning that favoured the dominant party of the coalition, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
In 2015, news broke that the personal bank accounts of the then Prime Minister, Najib Razak, had received suspicious deposits of 2.6 billion ringgit (more than US$620 million). A year later, the Wall Street Journal ran an exposé on the stateowned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund, exposing suspicious financial transactions and uncovering evidence of money laundering, fraud and theft on a grand scale. A lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice alleged that at least US$3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB.
Najib denied any wrongdoing and rejected calls for his resignation. His administration allegedly arranged
for the leaders of the Malaysian Anticorruption Commission and the Central Bank of Malaysia to “retire” after rumours broke that the two government agencies were building a case against 1MDB. Draconian laws were used to shut down Malaysian publications that investigated the 1MDB case, even as people took to the streets to voice their unhappiness.
Public anger seethed to boiling point, also fuelled by the unpopular goods and services tax, which many linked to the rising cost of living. But even as people took to the streets to voice their unhappiness through rallies and protests, with the 2018 general election approaching, Barisan Nasional remained confident of victory in the country’s 14th trip to the polls. Why? One reason the elections had always gone in the ruling coalition’s favour was that the Electoral Commission, which runs the electoral process, is overseen by the Prime Minister’s Office. Also, gerrymandering was common, along with the use of dirty tactics such as phantom voters.
Amid the 1Mdb-linked anger and upheaval of 2018, 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad came out of retirement to rally the opposition. Often branded by the press as an autocrat and dictator during his stint as Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003, he had been Najib’s political mentor and had groomed him as his successor. But they fell out bitterly over the 1MDB scandal.
To take on Barisan Nasional, Mahathir formed his own political party and reconciled with former opposition leaders—including those he had put behind bars—to create a coalition called Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope). His return to politics and peacemaking with former political foes, such as Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang, inspired Malaysians to speak with a resounding voice through the ballot box, ousting Barisan Nasional after 61 years at the helm of the country.
As the dramatic 2018 election campaign unfolded, Dian Lee and Ineza Roussille were there to document the historic events. Together with Oscarwinning producer Ruby Yang, they created M for Malaysia, a compelling documentary that tells a story of hope, reconciliation and people power.e two government agencies were building a case against 1MDB. Draconic laws were