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Mahathir’s surprise: on the Malaysian elections
Malaysia
News:
- Mahathir Mohamad, a 92 year old political veteran elected as the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Important Analysis:
- This election can spur democratic movement in Southeast Asia, in which one party rule and military’s influence is dominant.
- The clear majority for the opposition Pakatan Harapan in the new federal legislature also signaled Mr Mohamed’s comeback.
Reasons for the loss of previous Prime Minister Najib Razak and his party United Malays National Organisation(UNMO):
- Poor economic track record
- Stringent curbs on media freedoms
- Last minute meddling with electoral constituencies
- Mr Razak’s involvement in a multimillion dollar embezzlement scandal in a sovereign wealth fund.
- Investigations in several countries regarding the scam damaged the country’s reputation as a regional tiger economy.
- Mr Mohamed forged an alliance with Anwar Ibrahim, an arch rival of Najib Razak.
- UNMO has been ousted from power for the first time.
- Mr Mohamed helped found UNMO and held power between 1981 and 2003.
- Mr Mohamed selected Najib Razak to be the Prime Minister in 2009.
- Mr Mohamed in his previous stints as Prime Minister was known for grandstanding on Asian values of collective well being over the West’s emphasis on individual rights.
- As the future Prime Minister Mr Mohamed has promised to uphold Rule of Law which will strike a chord across ASEAN.
- ASEAN considers lack of democratic accountability as a an obstacle to consolidating the gains from economic integration
