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Jakarta Post

Regime change in Malaysia

After 61 years of rule, the end came quickly and for most observers quite surprisingly

Patrick Ziegenhain (The Jakarta Post)
Kuala Lumpur
Sat, May 12, 2018

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Regime change in Malaysia

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fter 61 years of rule, the end came quickly and for most observers quite surprisingly. Barisan Nasional led by the United Malay National Organization (UMNO) lost its parliamentary majority in the 14th national elections in Malaysia on May 9.

Therefore, the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan has the right to form the new government and its chairman Mahathir Mohamad was consequently appointed by the king as new prime minister.

The result of the 14th general elections is more than a change of government. It is a regime change. So far, UMNO controlled the Malaysian TV and radio stations, the print media, the government-linked companies, the banks, the state institutions, and last but not least the country’s administration.

For decades, UMNO formed a specific form of government, which international political scientists termed as a soft-authoritarian electoral democracy. Authoritarian because until May 9 it seemed unthinkable that the government could lose an election and because civil rights and political liberties were limited.

With a new government of the former opposition, there will hopefully more accountability, more checks and balances between the state institutions, more media freedom, and less power abuse.

Political prisoners such as the arrested opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will soon be released and probably get a leading government position. In short, Malaysia is on the way to become more democratic.

The regime change came in a peaceful way and by elections. Former prime minister Najib Razak was wise enough to accept publicly its defeat and insofar contributed to the internal stabilization of the country. So far, there are no indications of public unrest and riots in any part of Malaysia. This will continue if the new government acts carefully. “We are not seeking revenge, we want to restore the rule of law,” said Mahathir Mohamad after election victory.

What were the reasons for this “Malaysian earthquake” as some observers called it?

We should be realistic. For many voters it was not so much the wish for a more democratic Malaysia. Even if one of the most important reasons for the opposition victory was the unpopularity of former prime minister Najib Razak’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal.

Many Malaysians felt more attracted by the economic promises of Pakatan Harapan. The abolishment of the unpopular goods and services tax (GST) in order to reduce the cost of living for ordinary people was such a promise as well as the reintroduction of fuel subsidies to stabilize the price of petrol. Such policies are popular, no doubt, but if they are economically useful is another question.

All eyes are now directed towards the new prime minister, who made his comeback to the country’s top position after 15 years.

Is Mahathir Mohamad the right man for Malaysia’s transition to a more democratic system? Many people have doubts.

Not so much because of his age, but rather because of his authoritarian track record as prime minister in the 1980s and 1990s. Mahathir is not known to be a supporter of a liberal democracy and under his rule many opposition figures were arrested and sent to jail.

On the other hand, Dr Mahathir is the right man for a transition from the autocratic dominance of UMNO to a more competitive form of government. As a former UMNO man he is trusted by the majority of the ethnic Malays, who do not support any change to their privileged status as bumiputera (literally sons of the soil).

Mahathir is familiar with the Malaysian elite and still has very good connections to the most important players in business and society. With him the regime change will not be abrupt but rather incremental. This will make the transition more smooth and peaceful.
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The writer is visiting professor at the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

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