According to the Chinese almanac, 2006 is the Year of the Dog and true enough, we heard the growls and saw teeth being bared.

The last 365 days have left a scar on our beloved prime minister. His trademark broad grin has narrowed, to the point that some believe it now resembles a frown.

Things have not exactly been peachy for the First son-in-law either. The Oxford-trained lad hit several bumps along the road in what was supposed to be a smooth ride to the pinnacle of power.

Both Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Khairy Jamaluddin were nominees for the malaysiakini ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ award, but failed to unseat a maverick who simply would not roll over and play dead.