Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State under Mahathir

Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State under Mahathir
In-Won Hwang, author
Date of publication:  2003
Publisher:  ISEAS / Silkworm
Number of pages:  400
Code:  BM237

Reviews

"... a fine analysis of Malaysian political trends and a valuable foundation for thinking about Mahathir's future ... " -- Harold Crouch, Australian National University

"Among the many books written about Mahathir Mohamad's premiership, none does a better job than this one of chronicling the systemic decline of the importance of state institutions and the rise of a political system dominated by one individual. This is an exceptionally balanced and thoughful book that not only theorises about this progressive personalization of Malaysian politics but provides an unsually rich analysis to support this contention." -- Edmund Terence Gomez, University of Malaya

"Hwang has written a richly riveting account of contemporary Malaysian politics with analytical insights on an important period of democratic transition in Malaysian history. This was the period dominated by the singular personality of Mahathir Mohamad. Hwang's tome certainly bears the mark of a meticulously researched piece of work. Dr Hwang's book with its numerous insights into the nitty-gritty of Malay politics is a must-read for all Malaysian specialists who want to understand well the major obstacles to democratic transition and consolidation in Malaysia" (Johan Saravanamuttu, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Japanese Journal of Political Science).

About the publication

This book is an innovative analysis of regime maintenance and transformation in Malaysia. It goes beyond familiar approaches centred on communal politics, or the corporate workings of Malaysia Inc., to stress the importance of power maintenance -- tracing a path from consociational bargaining, to authoritarian UMNO dominance, to Dr Mahathir's personal dominance.
          
          
          
          

Co-publication: ISEAS / Silkworm

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies / Silkworm Books

Contents

  • Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State under Mahathir
    [Whole Publication, ISBN: 9789812305190]
  • Preliminary pages, with Foreword by Harold Crouch
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. The Origins and Patterns of Conflict in Malaysia
  • 3. Regime Maintenance through Consociational Bargaining
  • 4. Regime Change towards UMNO Dominance
  • 5. Towards Mahathirs Personal Dominance
  • 6. Politics in the 1990s: Regime Change or Regime Consolidation
  • 7. The Rise of New Politics and Challenges to the Mahathir Regime
  • 8. Whither Malaysia?
  • References
  • Index

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