The fanfare, fireworks and celebrations for 2014 are over. And as ‘Happy New Year’ wishes get fewer and further between, the first week of the year has already rolled by.

Life goes on for Malaysia.

For those of us working in newsrooms, we wonder what events Malaysians can look forward to this year. What's going to be 'same old' and what's new?

Here are some of the stories I expect to be big this year:

Cost of living

Rising cost of living is at the tip of everyone’s tongue and some disgruntled citizens have already branded 2014 as the 'Barang Naik' year.

The prices of everything, due to a slew of subsidy cuts and price hikes, are 'going through the roof' and there is no denying that it is going to be a year that is challenging to both the people and government.

As the rakyat tighten their belts, the same, or more, is now being expected from the country’s administrators.

With the impending Goods and Services Tax (GST) and an expected rise in inflation, all eyes will be on the government’s short term and more importantly, long-term measures to make lives live-able.

What the government will do to comfort the crying rakyat, especially those from the middle to lowest income groups?

Religious tensions

The latest seizure of bibles has put the spotlight back on tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in the country.

The fear is that the dispute over the usage of the word 'Allah’ by Christians, as well as other religious controversies, will leave relationship among fellow Malaysians irreparably damaged.

Though there is much to be debated and disagreed upon, many would agree that extremism and politics are two things that are not helping in this regard.

Is it really in the interest of political parties if these religious tensions are allowed to escalate and risk the inevitable spill over to racial disunity?

Many have called for peace and dialogue though it is hard to imagine civility amid the chest-thumping and noise of certain groups.

Will there be a change in mindset that would spur hope that the nation can move forward? An analyst says "this won't die. It has been over politicised and It will remain unresolved".

Beyond the Lahad Datu intrusion

The Sabah incursion by a small group of armed men, followers of the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, early last year is not exactly over.

The incident has multitude of implications, or some say, opened up a can of worms.

Questions remain on details of the country's established history; the immigration issue that was tied by certain quarters to the 'Project IC'; and the mystery of the 'true mastermind' behind the attack, which saw 68 of deaths on both sides.

The trial against 30 people linked to the intrusion is ongoing (January 6 to 10, January 15 to 17, Jan 27 to 30, and February 10 and 14). It remains to be seen if more details will emerge or will some questions remain buried.

Post-GE political parties, PKR elections

Excitement over politics have died down following the 13th General Election on May 5 last year. For many, political lethargy has already set in.

For some political parties, it is a time for licking wounds and slowly winning back the hearts and minds of the electorate over the next few years. For others, it is a no-less difficult task of maintaining the support of those who voted for them.

While most of the main Barisan Nasional parties have held their party elections, the PKR election is expected in March.

There is some talk of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim going for the party's presidency position but analysts say that the election, regardless of the outcome, would not bring major changes within PKR or Pakatan.

This may be an event watched by the politically savvy and other observers, but for the general public, bread and butter issues in their everyday life overshadow political news.


Other national issues

Many would say that the time for political positioning is over and it is time for nation building. But that statement won't stop politicians from being politicians.

The Opposition is still harping on many national issues such as corruption, education and safety.

The national education standards, given the results of TIMSS 2011 and Pisa 2012, will continue to be a sore point for the government. Many have been critical with the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and until now, there are still those who think that the government made a huge mistake error in abolishing the teaching of science and maths in English(PPSMI).

Other perennial issues like safety and corruption will continue to make the news and there are expectations for MACC to do more, together with 'Transparency Minister' Datuk Paul Low.