Public trust in governments is at a low point globally, including in Malaysia. Also, survey results released in December by global market research company Ipsos showed that “politician” is the least trusted profession in Malaysia. Some cynicism is healthy, but a dearth of public trust is worrying – it threatens democracy and fuels radicalism. Also important is the Political Financing Bill, to regulate contributions and promote transparency, thus curbing corruption and opaque donations. Human Writes columnist Mangai Balasegaram writes mostly on health but also delves into anything on being human.

Source: The Star January 11, 2026 14:31 UTC