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Malaysia

Jawi: identity and controversy

The furore over a few seemingly innocuous pages in a textbook provide an indication of just how polarised Malaysian society has become.

Poverty policy making during the pandemic

In Malaysia, government social spending is on the decline while policy debates on critical issues such as UBI remain suspended.

Whither labour law reform in Malaysia?

The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic shows the role of trade unions is even more important in defending workers’ rights during the health and social crisis.

Groundhog day for Fake News in Malaysia

Legitimate criticism of the government’s decision to obtain the state of emergency declaration is now a criminal offence under Malaysian law.

COVID-19 flights to nowhere: radical escape or radical reimagining of the everyday?

The illusion that the domestic space is only a site for social reproduction is over, but what will replace it?

Mental illness in Malaysia: the imperative to destigmatise

The Ministry of Health needs to make the strategic leap from awareness to research and intervention.

National harmony: race, politics and campaigning in Malaysia

A new report analyses debates around social cohesion and a failed proposal for a National Harmony Commission in Malaysia in light of Pakatan Harapan's collapse

Creating land in the sea: the quest for greater state autonomy in Malaysia

Land reclamation initiatives seek to side-step national regimes which had previously constrained the autonomy of local governments.

Alternative Visions for Malaysia requires combating political clientelism

Ross Tapsell reviews a new book on Malaysian politics ahead of the ANU Malaysia Update 2020 “Alternative Visions for Malaysia”.

The Slim by-election: putting the “Mahathir effect” in perspective

Mahathir may be losing traction among rural Malays, but grassroots polling data from GE18 shows such support was never straightforward.

Federal-state friction amid Malaysia’s dual political and pandemic plight

The COVID-19 crisis tested the boundaries of federal-state relations when decisions from the centre were not received well by state governments.

The domesticated Doraemon: the outlook for women under Perikatan Nasional

Recent developments indicate that the female empowerment agenda may critically regress under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s new administration.

Manufacturing Malay unity and the downfall of Pakatan Harapan

How parties, preachers and pressure groups used social media to popularise the perception that "Islam is under threat" in Malaysia and call for a "Malay-led government"

Reclaiming the sea from the Melaka Gateway

The Melaka Gateway is threatening the livelihood of a seaside community that is now leveraging its Portuguese–Malay roots to survive.

The political economy that Perikatan Nasional inherits – and will have to tackle

Malaysia has another new government; Tricia Yeoh looks at the ramifications of past leadership approaches on the new coalition's future.

Four years of people’s war: an assessment of the New People’s Army from 2016-2019

The end of the NPA's insurgency isn't guaranteed despite what officials say.

An interview with Shamsul Iskandar

Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Primary Industries discusses his political awakening, GE14, and reforming the palm oil industry.

Securing the electoral success of women in Malaysia Baharu

Despite female politicians’ ambivalence about gender quotas, they remain an essential tool in making politics more representative.

Not the Emperor’s, not the King’s, but the Straits Chinese

Ann Ang discusses the historical context, origins and identity of the Straits Chinese.

Raising Naik: a resurgence of ethnoreligious sectarianism?

Pakatan Harapan's concessions on the Zakir Naik controversy illustrate the high cost of chasing the Malay vote