For Malaysia’s democracy advocates, huge hurdles remain after surprise win
After a surprise opposition win ended six decades of one-party rule in Malaysian general elections in May, civil-society activists are busy working to expand and protect their democratic spring.
Authoritarians are on the rise in Southeast Asia and beyond, and democracy advocates here are watching the resurgence of far-right groups and populist movements in liberal democracies in the West. But they say they are armed with vital tools that reformist forces in other countries lacked as they work to complete their democratic transition: foreknowledge and urgency.
Malaysia’s civil-society activists helped drive the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition to a stunning victory May 9 over the ruling National Front coalition and the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party that dominated it, overcoming gerrymandering, repressive laws, and state-controlled media. Yet despite the new government’s vows to
No pass for a ‘friendly’ governmentColonial legacyPreventing backlash
