Electoral Reform and Democracy in Malaysia

edited by Helen Ting M. H. and Donald L. Horowitz

National University of Singapore Press, 2023
Cloth: 978-87-7694-320-2 | Paper: 978-87-7694-321-9 | eISBN: 978-87-7694-732-3 (PDF)

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Big political changes in Malaysia since 2018 have raised high expectations for electoral reform but much remains to be achieved. This impressive study takes stock of the state of democracy in Malaysia by offering readers a deep but readily understandable analysis of an array of electoral reform issues. Here is a resource that will interest the politically engaged as well as scholars of political process, a study that is both wide-ranging and focused, and a primer on electoral politics that will be of wide interest far beyond Malaysia.

REVIEWS

“In a brilliant chapter entitled 'The politics of malapportionment and electoral reform in a dominant party regime', Kai Ostwald provides a detailed examination of the way delineation exercises have been carried out during the 6-decade rule of the BN government…. This book adds to the earlier analyses of the elections and the need for electoral reforms in Malaysia but goes further not only in covering issues not covered in previous studies but also in bringing the reader up to date with electoral reform developments. Written by both local and international scholars the book provides the reader with a better understanding of the issues and problems involved in conducting elections in a racially divided society like Malaysia.”

— Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS)

“The book does an excellent job in stock-taking on the demands and dynamics of electoral reform and multiparty competition, and expanding the debate on electoral system change, both in width and depth…. This book would be most useful to students of electoral authoritarianism interested in the power and limitations of the politics of electoral reform, and all who are concerned with the future of democracy and ethnic relations in Malaysia.”

— Democratization

“While this work focusses largely on Malaysia, there are frequent references to other parliamentary systems and the analysis lends itself to wider applications and debates…. This work will withstand the test of time well. It is an insightful deep dive into a very unique window of time following the 2018 general election, when Malaysia began important processes of reform. In tracing the trajectory of these processes as well as unpacking the varying rationales for the different types of reform, it will also be of interest to those interested in studying democratic transitions, particularly in countries with Westminster systems.”

— Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography

“This edited volume of essays is a compelling study of Malaysia’s political evolution by renowned academic scholars who have meticulously explored the landscape of democratic reform in the country. Each chapter in the book provides a compelling in-depth analytical examination of the complexities of Malaysian politics by shedding light on the multifaceted factors that shaped the trajectory of the nation’s democratic process…. an invaluable resource for readers who seek enhanced comprehension of Malaysia’s dynamic evolution of electoral reform, making it an essential read for those seeking to understand the country’s complicated and evolving political system.”

— Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia

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