newsmaker n. One whose actions consistently make news headlines, who effects the course of public discourse and creates an impact in Malaysian politics, for better or worse.

Two Thousand And Seven, what an eventful 365 days we have had. Hideous crimes, high-profile court cases, explosive scandals and massive street rallies, just to name some news highlights. The Year of the Boar had indeed proved not to be ‘boaring’.

It was also a poignant year for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for whom the bell tolled - wedding bells, that is. But the honeymoon came to a quick end when he invoked the spectre that Malaysians thought had been exorcised with his predecessor’s farewell - the summoning of the Internal Security Act to silence dissent.

The year was especially significant for Indian Malaysians too. Overnight, they became a political force to be reckoned with as they took to the streets in the tens of thousands, incurred the wrath of the government, and saw five of their ‘leaders’ hauled off under ISA.

In view of this, Malaysiakini decided it would only be correct to honour an Indian Malaysian as the Newsmaker of 2007.