Hoping for better: S. Sobashini Priya and husband M. Hesharhishi Rao after casting their vote in Penang during the 15th General Election. Indian Malaysians make up about 6.6% of the population, translating to roughly 2.2 million people, with about 1.5 million eligible voters. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star.
A WEEK is a long time in politics, the late British prime minister Harold Wilson is reputed to have said. He was right.
In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer.
On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.