It’s the end of the year, and Malaysiakini again lets its readers decide what they think are the most important news stories of 2016.
A total of 1,393 readers participated in the seven-day survey, opened only to paying subscribers.
They voted by entering a score on each of the 19 news items selected by Malaysiakini - from 1 (lowest interest) to 10 (highest).
It comes as no surprise that the No 1 news of 2016 is the civil suit by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to seize more than US$1 billion in assets allegedly tied to corruption at Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
This is the second year in a row that the scandal linked to 1MDB clinched the No 1 spot. Last year, news of RM2.6 billion found in PM Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts was picked as the top headline grabber of 2015.
Interestingly, the second spot is taken by news on the dramatic drop of the ringgit. Again, this is a repeat of last year’s results – news on the plunge of the ringgit also took the No 2 spot in 2015.
One can easily predict that these two items will continue to remain in the headlines in 2017.
No 3 is another 1MDB related news – the Parliament speaker using sub judice to stonewall questions, especially on the DOJ and other overseas investigations.
The other items on the Top 10 list include the realignment of political forces, the Bersih 5 rally, the persecution of the media, and the jail sentence meted out to Pandan parliamentarian Rafizi Ramli.
Here they are - Malaysiakini readers' choice of the top 10 headline-grabbers.
US Department of Justice (DOJ) suit, and 1MDB and RM2.6 billion scandals
- 12,519 points
Plunge of the ringgit – the currency is at its weakest since 1997 Financial Crisis
- 11,129
Parliament using sub judice to stonewall questions on 1MDB, DOJ, overseas probes, etc
- 10,667
Realignment of political forces - Umno, PAS, Bersatu, Amanah, Anwar and Dr M
- 10,630
Bersih 5 rally – Dataran Merdeka locked down, but protesters marched to KLCC instead
- 10,222
Persecution of the media (shutdown of TMI, KiniTV charged, arrests of artists/cartoonists)
- 10,123
Controversial redelineation of electoral boundaries by the Election Commission
- 9,057
Allegations of foreign funding and Sosma arrests of Maria Chin
- 9,032
18 months’ jail for Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli under the Official Secret Act (OSA)
- 8,608
Changing of the guards – MACC chief Abu Kassim, Bank Negara governor Zeti
- 8,587
The also ran
Nine of the 19 news items failed to make the cut and were relegated by Malaysiakini subscribers to the also-ran category.
They are:
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s Bungalow-gate and Sabah’s Watergate
- 8,444
Orang Asli blockades in Gua Musang against logging on their land
- 7,858
Amendment to Law Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act on conversion of children
- 7,658
Abdul Hadi Awang's ‘hudud’ bill which was tabled in Parliament
- 7,204
Olympics and Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro and Mohd Faiz Subri’s freekick goal
- 7,058
Malaysia's foreign policy pivot to Beijing and PM's involvement in Rohingya protest
- 6,178
Sarawak election and twin by-elections (and helicopter crash and death of MP Noriah Kasnon)
- 6,088
Rise of Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos and the Red Shirts
- 5,239
The passing of PAS spiritual leader Harun Din, who was buried in the United States
- 4,915
Tomorrow: Who is newsmaker of 2016?
