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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2020
This book has been three eventful years in the making. As we began to gather the stories, data and information that make up the pages of this publication, Malaysia was still under Barisan Nasional (BN) rule and under the leadership of Najib Razak. As our chapters began to take shape, the 14th General Elections captured everyone's attention, and some research findings were released to the public to share our perspectives. Then, the unthinkable at the time happened—BN was voted out and Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the reins in Putrajaya, with Mahathir Mohamad once again Prime Minister at the age of ninety-two.
As Malaysia's people and myriad observers ran the gamut of emotions, expectations and critical reflection, we worked to amend our content to meet the changes of the day. Where possible, the writers tweaked content to include the unprecedented changes that were afoot and include projections of where the new regime might take the nation. The book was then sent to publication in 2019.
Just as the manuscript was going through the necessary processes of copyediting, proofreading and typesetting, however, political commotion erupted once again in Malaysia's halls of power. In what still remains a somewhat confusing turn of events, an attempted coup took place, Mahathir Mohamad resigned as Prime Minister, his own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM or BERSATU) split into two, and the faction led by Muhyiddin Yassin pulled out of the PH coalition. The country was effectively without a government for eight days as various individuals sought an audience with the King for approval to regain or retain power. On 1 March 2020, Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as Malaysia's 8th Prime Minister, leading a loose coalition of previously ousted parties under the banner of Perikatan Nasional.
Following this, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively ground the world to a halt. At the time of writing this prologue, Malaysian borders are closed, barring selected export of goods to Singapore and highly controlled returns of Malaysians working, studying or living overseas. The nation is on its 64th day of various permutations and phases of Movement Control Orders (MCO), and many in Singapore (where this book is being published) are also working from home.
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