The year 2011 proved to be yet another tumultuous one for “post-March 2008” Malaysian politics. The Malaysian opposition PR (Pakatan Rakyat, or Peoples’ Alliance) coalition strained to sustain its pressure on the incumbent BN (Barisan Nasional, or National Front) while at the same time struggling to manage internal differences and fresh allegations of sexual misconduct against de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. As for BN, despite sweeping five consecutive by-elections since November 2010, the coalition's comparatively lacklustre performance in the April 2011 Sarawak state election meant that it had not entirely stemmed the opposition tide that has drawn votes away from its ranks, especially from the Chinese electorate. Indeed, though the Sarawak state assembly remained firmly under BN control, PR managed a commendable performance in this bastion state to secure a fifteen-seat bloc in the state assembly, making it the largest opposition presence in this BN stronghold in more than two decades.

Meanwhile, Malaysian civil society yet again demonstrated its resolve to mobilize for change with the controversial Bersih 2.0 rally. Bersih, which means “clean” in Malay, is short for Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Coalition for Free and Fair Elections), a coalition of NGOs seeking electoral reforms. Since the first rally held on 10 November 2007 that catalysed widespread popular discontent leading to the ruling coalition's poor performance in the 2008 General Election, Bersih has become a household name synonymous with grass-roots pressure for political reform in Malaysia. While smaller in scale, their second rally in July 2011 nevertheless garnered enough attention in the media (both local and international) to force the Malaysian Government to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms, whose suggestions were eventually adopted by Parliament in December 2011.

These events foregrounded continued deterioration of ethnic relations, as well as rampant speculation over the timing of the 13th General Election, due in 2013.