Setting the stage for 2026
This one's a different kind of theatre.
All inaugural posts require some stage-setting, so that’s what I’ll do here, highlighting aspects particularly relevant to the newsletter: politics, government-linked business and PE/VC.
Welcome to 2026.
The Malaysianist runs on subscriptions. Fuel up with a monthly, annual or founding member plan.
P.S. The founding member tier doesn’t have a ceiling; you can go as high as you want — it’s the ultimate supporter badge that also comes with a special section of its own.
And, yes, you can upgrade subscription tiers at any time.
Mulling a group purchase for family, friends and colleagues? I’ve got you. Group subscriptions come with discounts, too.
We’re entering what will likely be Anwar Ibrahim’s penultimate full year as prime minister before Malaysia is forced back to the polls by February 2028.
This is when everything crystallises: the amendments and bills, the reforms (real or cosmetic), the changes to Corporate Malaysia, and the wayang (theatre/drama) that comes with managing a coalition where nobody fully trusts anybody.
With the election clock ticking louder, just about everyone — from ministers to powerbrokers to investors — will cosplay as salespeople, scrambling to lock in deals, approvals, and lifelines before the hammer drops.