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BOOK REVIEW
Malaysian Politics under Mahathir
By R. ...
It began with a brief political history of the country that Mahathir inherited—from the time he became Malaysia Prime Minister in 1981—up to his sustained political dominance in the way he removed his deputy in 1998, Anwar Ibrahim. ... Mahathir Mohamad has exercised an extraordinary influence over his country’s public life. ... Mahathir is exceptional as a Malay leader in contrast to his three predecessors as Prime Minister. ... For example, to eradicate some undesirable traits of “old Malays,” Mahathir’s idea of “new Malay” was born. ... By getting the Malays and the non-Malays to accept his prescriptions, the image of Mahathir’s medical infallibility has virtually translated into Malaysian political scenes.
In their eye-opening “Malaysian Politics under Mahathir,” Professors Stephen Milne and Diane Mauzy have brought their impressive study of Malaysia’s politics under microscopic level. The book is a vivid political drama with stunning plot turns and priceless characters. ... Mahathir is treated in a sober and balanced manner. ... Indeed, it is pointed out that for Mahathir “power is a necessary food. ... In addition, the shortcomings of governance in Malaysia under his rule are also addressed, including the rise in the incidence of corruption. ... Mahathir in this book is as “innovative, eccentric and iconoclastic.” The fact of the matter is that Malaysia’s politics have never been the same since he assumed office and power nearly two decades ago. ... In particular, attempts were made to demonstrate the advantages and the disadvantages of Malaysian leaders, as compared with the national leaders of many other countries, especially those in the West. The chapter also explains how politics in Malaysia are still dominated by ethnic considerations. ... Mahathir Mohamad, who is also the prime minister, is characterized as authoritarian in nature. ... Additionally, UMNO and Barisan as a whole have gained strong support by Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), because MAF are traditionally trained in the British tradition of a professional corps whose role and duties did not include intervening in the political process. The power exerted by Barisan in a sense, gives it ability to suppress the rights of the press, interest groups, as well as the voice of certain Malaysian citizens to maintain “order.”
Along the way, Professors Milne and Mauzy present a brief political history of the country that Mahathir inherited in 1981. ... For example, although the reforms instituted by the New Economic Policy (NEP) reduced poverty substantially and led to the growth of ethnic Malay middle and business classes, there has been growing concern over the political patronage on the business sector such as money politics in UMNO, the increasingly inequitable distribution of wealth, and the obvious increase in corruption and abuse of priviledge such as those “Ali Baba.
Approximate Word count = 2115
Approximate Pages = 8.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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