Continuity and change in Malaysian politics : assessing the buildup to the 1999-2000 general elections

• Main Author: Liow, Joseph Chin Yong.
• Other Authors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
• Format: Working Paper
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science::Political institutions::Asia::Malaysia
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/90600; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/4443
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Given the emergency of the reform movement in Malaysia, speculation has been rife that as Malaysia prepares to take to the polls, the increasing popularity of the reform movement will see the opposition parties blocking the National Front from winning a two-thirds parlimentary majority. This paper argues that because of the current nature of Malaysian politics, the signs of economic recovery, the disorganized nature of the opposition coalition and the ability of the incumbent to use the entire state machinary to support its position, such a scenario seems unlikely for this upcoming election. Nevertheless, the prospect of a two-thirds majority victory for the National front cannot hide the fact that Malaysian politics may be undergoing some changes, and these changes might pose challenges for the ruling National Front to contend with.