Governing Malaysia

It has been said that Malaysian politics is at present in a process of transformation, driven mainly by the communications revolution, through the proliferation of alternative views, via the internet, blogs, Facebook and YouTube. The increased representation from the opposition at the expense of the ruling party, at federal parliament and state assembly levels, is a clear manifestation of a step change in the political landscape of this country. Some have argued that Malaysian politics have changed forever.

As such a juncture, it is important to place the current political climate into its proper context. As the Malaysian political system has evolved over the year since independence, it is critical to understand the contextual element so that one is able to better appreciate the current changes. It is the turning of the political pages of a maturing system and society.

This book aims to put together the most significant aspects of the Malaysian political system in one volume. Issues ranging from elections, the constitution, the monarchy, the executive, the legislative, the judiciary, as well as the civil service and the federal system, are all examined by leading Malaysian experts in this fields.

Abdul Razak Baginda is Executive Director of Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, a private think-tank based in Kuala Lumpur. He holds an MA in War Studies from King's College London and DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford