Government And Society In Malaysia

The Malaysian political system incorporates a mix of democratic and authoritarian characteristics. In this comprehensive account, Harold Crouch argues that, while they may appear contradictory, the responsive and the repressive features of the system combine in an integrated and coherent whole. Consistently dominated by the Malay party UMNO, which represents the largest ethnic group, the Malaysian government requires the support of its Chinese, Indian, and East Malaysian minorities to retain control. The need to appeal to a politically and ethnically divided electorate restrains the arbitrary exercise of power by the ruling coalition. As a result, the government responds to popular aspirations, particularly since a split in the dominant Malay party in the 1980s. Yet it also controls the electoral process, ensuring victory in all national elections. Communal, social, and economic factors have all contributed in rather ambiguous ways to shaping the Malaysian political system. Communal tensions, change in the class structure, and the consequences of economic growth have generated pressures in both democratic and authoritarian directions. The government has been remarkably stable despite sharp ethnic divisions and, Crouch suggests, it is unlikely to move swiftly toward full democracy in the near future.

Tracing historical and political dynamics underlying nearly 20 years of authoritarian rule, Verma addresses five issues: Islam, secular nationalism, citizenship, democracy and human rights, arguing that modernization has led to tensions in Malaysia.

This book analyses Malaysian media from the Jurgen Habermas’ perspectives of “the public sphere” especially from the aspects of bourgeois public sphere, mass press, the commercialisation of the press and refeudalisation. Malaysia has also faced all of those aspects. However, the highlight of this book is the process called defeudalisation. The 2008 General Election has shown that a new public sphere of cyberspace or the Internet and the mobile phone was accessed and utilised significantly and was enough to be used by the opposition in influencing the public to vote them. It became one of the major factors in determining the result of the election which is for the first time the opposition denying the ruling government a two third majority in the parliament and taking control or governing of five states. This new and influential public sphere in Malaysia has reversed the Habermas’ argument of refeudalisation to a process called “Defeudalisation”. However, in creating a civil public sphere for the people to deliberate views, this book also argues that Malaysia needs a responsible media or freedom of the press with social responsibility. This book urges Malaysia to accept the idea or theory of social responsibility and the concept of public journalism in the public sphere. This book is suitable for all interested–politicians, journalists, academia, and students of politics, media studies, laws and Malaysian studies–in the issues of media politics, free press and the role of media in Malaysian society as well as those interested in civil liberties, democratisation, political theory, media theory, law and Malaysian studies.

Why should the university or college student study political science? What good will it do him, or her, in later life? Will it help the student in getting a job, in “getting ahead”? First of all it should be made clear that the primary objective of this political study is “citizenship training”. Its aim is to better the condition of human beings by helping them to realise their rights and obligations. However the “good” citizen, who behaves and votes regularly, is no longer good enough. Mere innocence, virtue and good intentions will not help societies develop and move in the right direction. Students must also be citizens who are knowledgeable. They must know how their governments operate, what interests and forces are behind particular policies, what the results of such policies are likely to be, who their elected representatives are, and what they stand for. The governance and political study enables students to understand the processes and institutions of societal decision-making. Such an understanding often includes knowing who makes the decision, for what reason and in whose interest, as well as how decisions can be encouraged, modified or prevented by citizens, as a member of any social systems. The purpose of governance and political study is not limited to the provision of relevant information. Students can follow a career as a professional politician. Even though the said knowledge is not required to enter the political field but it is considered an asset if one has adequate grounding in this area. This book has been ‘blended’ by three authors in order to make it more effective and relevant to the current issues so that it can be understood by the readers efficiently. Finally they can work within government bureaucracies such as ministry or a state department especially those dealing with public planning, national integration, political development, national unity, policy making and diplomatic services.

Analyses discourses pertinent to democratic politics in Malaysia, including the political elite's interpretation of 'Asian values' and 'Asian democracy', contending Islamic views on democracy, the impact of developmentalism on political culture, and the recovery of women's voice in everyday politics.