This article outlines the Democratic Action Party’s trajectory through Malaysia’s shifting political landscape.
Malaysia
The complexities of the South China Sea issue require Southeast Asian states to develop strong, persistent policies. These should entail all “what-ifs” including the withdraw of the US and its allies from the South China Sea.
This foreword launches the five-part “Tensions in the South China Sea” series. The series, featuring esteemed writers, aims to provide greater understanding of this complex issue.
The Taliban’s resurgence has received diverse responses from Malaysians. While other countries are facing security threats from locally-based jihadists seeking to imitate the Taliban’s success, the immediate impact on Malaysia is arguably further social polarisation.
In March 2020, Muhyiddin Yassin led a rebellion against the government that toppled a long-standing ruling alliance tainted with corruption. His 17-months rule will be remembered for its failures to attend to people’s Covid-19-related grievances and suspension of democracy.
COVID-19 has not only presented many unprecedented challenges to daily lives; it has changed the violent extremism landscape in Malaysia.
The pace of Islamisation in Malaysia has undoubtedly increase in the past decade. Spiritual Hijrah by the masses towards greater piety is of course commendable – until it is used by celebrities, entrepreneurs, and politicians for their personal gain.
Islamic populism is currently a go-to strategy for Malay-based political parties vying for support form the same pool of electorates. This has been detrimental to the rights and liberties of non-Muslims in Malaysia with the possibility of extremism.
Article is a preamble to Dina Zaman’s new book on Malay(sia), Malayness. Her book is scheduled for sale in Q3 of 2021.
Malaysian women are no longer harmless nor immune to violent extremism. It is thus imperative for gender perspectives to be included in the design and implementation of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiatives in Malaysia.