Malaysia

Country overview

Malaysia, an ethnically and religiously diverse constitutional monarchy, became independent in 1957 and has been ruled since then by the United Malays National Organization. Huge electoral inroads made by the People's Justice Party-led opposition coalition in March 2008 were largely the result of popular dissatisfaction with pro-Malay affirmative action programs and corruption. The current government is prosecuting opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in a process that outside observers see as deeply flawed. Malaysia has slowly liberalized its economy, but government ownership stakes in such key sectors as banking, media, automobiles, and airlines remain high. Malaysia is a leading exporter of electronics and information technology products, and its industries range from agricultural goods to automobiles (USA International Business Publications, pp. 3-6). (See appendix for population, language, religion, government and economy).

Political analysis

Malaysia freed itself from British rule and emerged as an independent country in 1957. Although it made rapid economic progress during the 22-year rule of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, democratic institutions were not nurtured during his tenure. He was succeeded by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had promised political reforms to reduce the extent of corruption and strengthen the judiciary. However, Badawi was not successful in fulfilling his promises. Najib bin Abdul Razak succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister on April 3, 2009. While the Malaysian political landscape is yet to experience a free press or an independent judiciary, progress has made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to control corruption. The United Malays National Organization's loss in the 2008 elections points towards its declining support. At the same time, Anwar bin Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition alliance, has been gathering support of all opposition parties and has continued his campaign to destabilize the government. The government's lack of an absolute majority will restrict it from undertaking any drastic reforms, although it may succeed in passing through legislations requiring a simple majority.

Continuity of policies

Since gaining independence, Malaysia has enjoyed political stability under the rule of the UMNO party and its alliances. The party-led ruling alliance, the Barisan Nasional (BN), won a five-year term in office in the 2008 elections, its twelfth election win to date. The coalition favors Malay nationalism, Islamism and capitalism. The dominance of this alliance in the Malaysian political landscape has ensured the continuity of policies throughout the history of the independent nation. The country's impressive performance is also reflected on the parameter of government effectiveness, as given by the World Bank's governance indicators. Malaysia's performance in terms of government effectiveness has improved from a percentile rank of 78.7 in 2005 to 83.9 in 2008. The BN-led alliance has been successful in establishing a sound governance system and continuity of policies has been well maintained, as no change has taken place in the political order since the country's independence.

Policy towards illegal immigrants

Illegal immigrants from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia (who take up odd jobs in the country) make up a substantial proportion of the Malaysian population. The Malaysian government has been long accused of not taking ...