1 February 2021
Author: Editorial Board, ANU
When Pakatan Harapan won the 2018 elections in Malaysia, it revealed what really underpinned the rule of the Barisan Nasional government that led Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy for 61 years since independence from Britain.
Certainly, an electoral system engineered to produce victories for the incumbent coalition, and widespread curbs on civil liberties and the press were part of the formula. But just as in non-communist regimes elsewhere in Southeast Asia, political despots or their hegemonic parties relied on support from business and many citizens who benefited from the spoils of the pre-Asian Financial Crisis boom.
All too often, economic rents came in the form of patronage for favoured companies, industries or social groups. But so long as there was enough patronage to go around, its beneficiaries became contributors to the political and social stability that in turn made Southeast Asia a magnet for investment.
Friday, 01 Jan 2021 10:11 AM MYT
BY R. LOHESWAR
Malaysia should be promoted as a united country with citizens of all colours who are able to practice their religions in peace. Reuters pic
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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 A group of MPs had called for a political reset this year and chided the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government for being obsessed with power.
In a joint statement, they said the country and its people are suffering from job cuts, depreciated income and unemployment whereas the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition and the prime minister are obsessed with solidifying power with calls for snap polls this year.