Malaysia's BN Stays in Power, But Deep Changes Have Nevertheless Occurred

Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. • The only change in government following Malaysia's 13th General Elections was in the state of Kedah. Nevertheless, some fundamentals in the country's political structure were altered for good, and these are best understood through a historical perspective.

2. • All the political parties in Malaysia formed before independence and which are still relevant, are communal parties.

3. • Be that as it may, three inter-related dimensions have always formed the backdrop for Malaysian political discourses—ethnocentrism, multiracialism and socialism. Since the 1980s, Islam as a parameter for political mobilization has also become significant, and is best understood within the country's general inter-ethnic balancing act.

4. • The history of UMNO and its allies has been one of internal conflicts despite the discourse on communal unity. Nevertheless, its dominance continues to rise within the ruling coalition, at the cost of other major member parties.

5. • The latest split, which occurred in 1998, saw Anwar Ibrahim becoming the major opposition leader, and greatly configured Malaysian politics for the following 15 years. This also ignited a revival of social activism, especially after 2007.

6. • The transition from the Mahathir period after 2003 compounded the political equation further. Abdullah Badawi's attempts failed badly. With Najib taking power in 2009, a four-year period of de facto campaigning began, which polarized the country further.

7. • Najib's next challenge is to survive the UMNO party elections later this year, which he is likely to do.

8. • The huge mal-apportionment in constituency size which made BN's victory possible, will be a major issue. Policy competition between the two coalitions which began in 2008 will continue.

HISTORICAL LINES OF CONFLICT

The 13th General Elections held on May 5th this year did not bring about the change in government at the federal level which the opposition had hoped for. The only change in government to occur was in fact in Kedah, where the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lost the second of the five states that it had won on March 8, 2008.

However, despite such disappointments, the PR as a whole continued making inroads into new key areas that were once off-limits to the opposition.