Sensing that great changes were approaching in Malaysia, the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) decided in early 2008 to focus on the snap general elections that Premier Abdullah Badawi had called for March 8.

Three of our researchers — Ooi Kee Beng, Johan Saravanamuttu and Lee Hock Guan — travelled to different states in Malaysia to study the public mood during the campaign period. Kee Beng was based in Penang during that time, Johan was in the state of Kelantan, and Hock Guan was in the Klang Valley.

This volume is the result of their efforts. It does not only supply information about the elections, but also provides a deep analysis of how the opposition managed to cause such great upsets on that fateful day.

More importantly, the book attempts to initiate discussions about the significance of March 8 in the unique context of Malaysia's nation-building process, and draw attention to the psychological importance of the results where inter-ethnic relations are concerned.

In many ways, March 8, 2008 does hold the potential for bringing closure to May 13, 1969. How complete this closure will be is being decided by present events.