One remaining question is whether the debate would be televised. PAS has stated previously that the system of government privileges given to bumiputeras should be replaced with one based on income rather than race. In East Malaysia, there is widespread speculation that the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Taib Mahmud, will call a state election in Sarawak in November. He successfully delivered victory for the federal BN in all of Sarawak's federal parliamentary seats in the 1999 general election. Despite the problems in PBDS, Taib is unlikely to face any serious challenge to the re-election of his BN government in Sarawak.
Human rights continues to be an issue in Malaysia.
If confirmed by the government, this would represent a significant decrease in the number of ISA detainees from previous years. There have been some encouraging signs with respect to the media in Malaysia. The Sun newspaper, which was recently purchased by The Edge magazine, has undergone a revamp and is printing articles that are quite independent-minded in their analysis. On the economic front, Finance Minister Daim presented his 2001 Budget. Finally, there was some good news for foreign firms doing business in Malaysia.