About Citizen Tong
Citizen Tong is a newsletter by Liew Chin Tong on Malaysia politics and public policy. Through analysis and commentaries, and with the help of my team, we aim to spark forward-thinking ideas and push for changes in our concepts in policy discourse that is guided by substance, context, and evidence.
While social media has given us a voice in Malaysia’s semi-authoritarian media space, the attention span is short and audiences often gravitate to echo chambers they are familiar with. As an observer, writer and participant of Malaysia’s politics and policy scene, I would like this to be an untethered space to explore political/policy ideas and insights.
Policy matters are actually of life and death consequence, and must not be shallow or clickbaity. Hopefully the much-expanded space afforded by the newsletter format can help bring together our multifaceted ideas that straddle several fields into a coherent mission to Build Malaysia Back Better.
I also want this space to be the platform to encourage wider interests in robust policy discussions and debates. We must stop making policies on the fly.
Hence, all subscriptions to this newsletter shall contribute to supporting REFSA (Research for Social Advancement), a think tank that promotes reforms and progressive ideas in Malaysia, for which I am Chairman. By subscribing to Citizen Tong, you will be supporting a team of excellent thinkers and researchers who dedicate their careers for the betterment of Malaysia.
I humbly hope you’ll join us through this journey, by subscribing to the newsletter and by extension, participating in this important process of public policy engagement. If you like what you are reading here, do share it with your friends too.
– Liew Chin Tong
Learn more about me on my website at www.liewchintong.com
What to expect from Citizen Tong?
This newsletter is for you to gain insights about Malaysia’s politics and public policy. I’ll also share snippets of anecdotes and personal stories of my life journey in politics. Here are some content that I will be sharing through the newsletter:
Political analysis
As a politician at the forefront of Malaysia’s political realm while trained as a political scientist, we hope our observations on politics, and my on-the-ground reports from Johor would help Malaysians to have a better sense of what will happen in the next 12 to 18 months.
Policy Reform
A better Malaysia begins with an openness to change and reform. Here, we hope to explore ideas, experiences and insights so we can rethink on how to better meet the contemporary challenges facing Malaysia. Topics such as geopolitics, defence and security, economy, institutional design, and urban policy will be discussed rigorously
Library and archive
Occasionally we will recommend some archival materials and resources from our library collection of 5,000+ books to provide deeper context to a contemporary event.
Why Subscribe?
If you want to be part of a knowledge-building community centered on policy discourse and explore how politics affect every facet of our life, this space is for you. Subscribe and let’s share experiences, ideas, and knowledge on how we can Build Malaysia Back Better!
When you subscribe to Citizen Tong, you’re also supporting my goal to raise funds for Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) through an eventual paid subscription.
“Why do we need think tanks”? It is like “why do we need GPS or Waze”. As a nation, we can’t be flying blind forever. We need to build up capacity for policy thinking and think tanks do exactly that through rigorous research and policy advocacy. Being Chairman of REFSA, I believe that as a think tank dedicated to progressive socioeconomic policies for Malaysia, we can do it.
For now, enjoy the free newsletter and if you find this insightful, do share it with your friends and family.
About Liew Chin Tong:
Liew Chin Tong was the Deputy Defence Minister under Malaysia’s Pakatan Harapan administration from 2018 to 2020. He was also a Senator in Dewan Negara from 2018-2021, Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera (2008-2013) and for Kluang (2013-2018). Chin Tong is DAP’s National Political Education Director and Johor DAP Chairman.
