Veteran MP Wong Chen leaves PKR to join Bersama
2 sources across 2 countries · Hong Kong · Malaysia
Who reported this
- South China Morning Post
- Malaysiakini
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Wong Chen, a three term Member of Parliament, has resigned from the People's Justice Party (PKR) and his Subang parliamentary seat to join the newly rebranded Bersama. Wong, who spent nearly 20 years in PKR, stated that his departure was a heartbreaking moment. He cited the need for a multiracial progressive alternative during a toxic political phase in Malaysia and mentioned personal insults as a reason for his move. His application to join Bersama was officially approved during a press conference. Wong is the third sitting MP to vacate their seat to join Bersama, following Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. This movement occurs under Malaysia's anti party hopping law, which prevents MPs from switching parties while retaining their seats. Center left coverage focused on Wong's personal emotional state and the specific mention of personal insults. In contrast, center right coverage framed the resignation as part of a wider exodus of reformists that leaves the government's reform agenda in doubt.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The framing focused on the personal emotional toll and the specific grievances of the politician.
- Centre-right
- The framing emphasized the broader political implications and the potential failure of the reform agenda.
Sources
93% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.