The politics of protests

Public concern: A group of Malaysian protesters carrying Zara Qairina banners on their way towards Parliament last month. — Filepic/The Star

THE other day, as I was driving the 130km from Kota Kinabalu to Ranau town, I gained insight into the magnitude of the Zara Qairina Mahathir case in Sabah. During the three-hour journey I saw #JusticeForZara posters and banners on countless cars, buses, and lorries.

The day before I was in Kuala Lumpur, where I had several coffee meet-ups with regional intelligence officers and diplomats to chat about the Zara Qairina case and the deadly protests in Indonesia.