Malaysia S Political Crisis
Malaysia S Political Crisis
Malaysia S Political Crisis
To cite this article: (2020) Malaysia’s political crisis, Strategic Comments, 26:2, vii-ix, DOI:
10.1080/13567888.2020.1756352
PHILIPPINES
THAILAND
K elantan
P e r l is
K e d ah
Ter engganu BRUNEI Sabah
P e nang M A L AY S I A
P er ak
P ahang
S elangor Negeri
Sembilan
Kuala Lumpur Sarawak
M alacca Johor
INDONESIA INDONESIA
© IISS
3 UPKO
Sarawak Parties Coalition
In mid-February 2020, after months of
internal negotiations, a new party coalition
3 GBS United Alliance (Sabah)
United Progressive People of Kinabalu Organisation
Others
Independent MPs
called Perikatan Nasional, or National
Source: IISS © IISS
Alliance, formed to oppose Mahathir’s
government. The coalition is comprised
of Najib’s party, UMNO, an Islamist until mid-May 2020 amid fears that he worth US$57.7bn; and a third worth
party (PAS), disgruntled members of may not be able to command the majority US$2.3bn, directed towards small and
Mahathir’s and Anwar’s parties, and a once voting begins. COVID-19 may delay medium-size businesses. These measures
few members of regional parties from the the sitting further. Indeed, several parties largely reallocate existing funds rather
states of Sarawak and Sabah, which are under the Perikatan umbrella have a poor than dedicate new funds to the crisis,
located on the island of Borneo (sometimes record of cooperation, particularly PAS, with only US$8.3bn in new spending. The
referred to as East Malaysia). The new which has left every coalition it has joined, three packages direct a substantial sum
prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, was and UMNO, which cannot dominate the towards stimulus and relief – 17.7% of
one of the most prominent defectors from new government, as it has traditionally. GDP – but they do not create a safety net
Harapan to Perikatan. Muhyiddin’s government has for the 2.5m Malaysians estimated to be
Muhyiddin was a long-time UMNO struggled to respond to the emerging living in poverty or for the millions who
politician who served as deputy prime health and economic crises resulting from have been put out of work. Government
minister under Najib. After publicly the spread of COVID-19. On 18 March, data released in early April shows that,
opposing Najib’s actions in the 1MDB it imposed a strict ‘movement-control only one month into the lockdown, 46.5%
scandal, he was dismissed from the order’ to reduce the viral infection rate, of self-employed workers and 35% of
government in 2015 and ended his deploying 7,500 members of the armed those working in the food-and-beverage
long membership of the party, joining forces to enforce social-distancing and industry have lost their jobs.
Mahathir’s Malaysian United Indigenous isolation measures. Despite implementing
Party (Bersatu) as party president. At the a swift, nationwide lockdown as Rising factionalism
time of his defection from Harapan to recommended by public-health officials, In hindsight, Mahathir’s ‘New Malaysia’
Perikatan in February 2020, he was serving the government’s initial daily briefings to may be remembered less for its good-
as Mahathir’s minister of home affairs. the public sowed confusion. The lockdown governance measures and populism than
By withdrawing from the Harapan was implemented more effectively in late for changing coalition politics in ways that
coalition, Muhyiddin split the Bersatu March and early April, but government broaden representation while also destabi-
party and eliminated Mahathir’s working policy remains reactive rather than lising subsequent governments. From 1957
majority in the Dewan Rakyat, the proactive. By 14 April, Malaysia had to 2018, Malaysian politics functioned at
lower house of Malaysia’s parliament, recorded about 5,000 cases of COVID- the federal level as a UMNO-dominated
overturning the government. On 29 19, slightly fewer than the Philippines coalition system, but since 2018 it has
February, Muhyiddin secured the support and Indonesia, with the second-highest become a multi-party coalition system
of Malaysia’s king to form a new Perikatan death rate (2.5 per million inhabitants) in which demands power-sharing and com-
government, and he took the oath of Southeast Asia. By comparison, Malaysia’s promise in ways that were previously
office as prime minister the next day. His death rate is far lower than those in, for unnecessary. The largest nine political par-
elevation has been portrayed by opponents example, Germany (41.7/m), the United ties or mini-coalitions – motivated by a
as a ‘backdoor power grab’. Politics States (79.1/m), the UK (178.5/m) or range of ethnic, religious, regional and
aside, Muhyiddin clearly lacks a popular Spain (390.5/m). Malaysia has the highest left–right prerogatives – each control from
mandate, having overturned a government recovery rate in the region, at 38%, and is 5–20% of the seats in parliament. This
without facing the voters and having making slow progress to flatten the curve. means that governing majorities are likely
restored UMNO to power, contrary to the The government has introduced three to be assembled from a collection of par-
result of the 2018 elections. He is thought economic-stimulus packages to support ties with diverse views. If the majority is
to hold a very slim and as yet untested citizens and businesses affected by the narrow, which was the case in May 2018
majority – probably 113 seats out of 222. pandemic – one worth US$4.6 billion, and appears to be the case now, minor
The sitting of parliament has been delayed which it inherited from Mahathir; another parties will be tempted to switch sides and
Volume 26 Comment 7 April 2020 © The International Institute for Strategic Studies