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Editor's Note For the fourth publication of the ADRN special working paper series, Ms. Aira Azhari and Mr. Faiz Abdul Halim of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs discuss the Malaysian populist phenomenon and its role in bringing the current Pakatan Harapan (PH) government into power. They caution that the now-opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) and the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) may "adopt the successful platforms from right-wing political parties in Europe and the U.S." and provide a "more populist stance that may combine political Islam and Malay nativist sentiments." Given that the definition of populism has been "inconsistent" in Malaysian politics, they also suggest and conclude that further research is needed as to how the "'people' come to adopt these views and whether there is any factual basis for said views."
Quotes from the Paper Introduction With the recent rise of populist leaders and parties across Europe, the United States, and the Philippines, many of whom have won the vote to rule, there has been a surge of scholarly and public interest in the topic of populism and its impacts on democracy and liberal values. This discussion has begun to spill over into Malaysia. Parallels are being drawn between the nativist rhetoric of popular right-wing European parties and the ethno-nationalist and religious rhetoric spouted by members of the now former ruling party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). There are also concerns over the potential socioeconomic and political impact and the feasibility of allegedly “populist” promises made by the now ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) government on the campaign trail.
Definition of Populism The definition of populism varies and there is no wholly agreed-upon definition due to the diversity of the political and socioeconomic environments in which populism can arise. Some scholars define populism as “a set of shortsighted macroeconomic policies adopted for electoral purposes that end up generating more harm than good.” This definition, referred to as the socioeconomic definition of populism, it has lost support amongst most social sciences, though it is still often used by the media, politicians, and policymakers as a pejorative.
The Malaysian Discourse on Populism The definition of populism has been fairly inconsistent within the Malaysian political discourse, despite its fairly frequent usage within the media and among some academics. For instance, in the most notable writing on populism in Malaysia, Autocrats vs The People: Authoritarian Populism in Malaysia by Anne Munro-Kua, the term “authoritarian populism,” a term first coined by Stuart Hall, “depicts politics as a struggle between ‘the people’ and some combination of malevolent, racialized and/or unfairly advantaged ‘others’ at home or abroad or both. It justifies interventions in the name of ‘taking back control’ in favor of ‘the people’.”
What Socioeconomic and Political Issues Resonate with the Malaysian Public? As populism is not a substantive ideological stance, what constitutes as populist in Malaysia generally varies from other countries, though there may be similarities. In Malaysian politics, populist issues might center on controversial topics regarding ethnicity, religion, education, cost of living, immigration, political corruption, repressive laws, the Constitution, and taxation to name a few. Moreover, who are or would “the people” be defined as in Malaysia, and what would their “general will” be?
Why Were these Issues Considered Populist in Malaysia? While public opinion surveys provide some insight into what popular issues the Malaysian public is concerned about, it is important to account for how and why the former political elite responded to (or ignored) these issues. Populism brings controversial issues back to the forefront of the public political discourse, issues that the elites are largely uncomfortable discussing. In the case of Malaysia, which has been referred to as a competitive authoritarian regime— a hybrid regime where competitive regular elections are practiced but where the ruling party has unfair and advantageous access to state mechanisms and institutions (such as the media) which are frequently used to hinder or attack the opposition, the elites tend to apply repressive laws to censor discussion of sensitive and “uncomfortable” issues and silence opposition towards the regime.
Current Trends in Populism in Malaysia Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 manifesto: Buku Harapan (Book of Hope) There are several elements of populism within PH’s Buku Harapan, despite the fact that it contains only two mentions of the term “elite,” both of which are found in a paragraph which describes UMNO and the BN’s manipulation of “racial politics” to ensure that the political elite remained in power. The manifesto also makes it clear that it aims to cleanse Malaysia of “corruption, malfeasance and kleptocracy,” citing the 1MDB case as the primary example.
One Year on – has PH Kept True to its Promises? At the time of writing, the PH government will have been in power for almost a year. There is a need to assess how successful they have been in implementing their promises. The most notable success has been the zero-rating of the GST and the reintroduction of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) in its place. The government clearly made this move a priority for its administration, knowing full well that any indication otherwise would trigger a backlash from the public and risk losing its hard-won support. As a result of this policy, there was an initial sharp drop in prices, and the lower prices were enjoyed during the tax holiday before going up again on September 1, 2018, when the SST came into place. Malaysians have begun to realize that lowering the cost of living does not simply entail removing an unpopular consumption tax, but requires deeper structural reforms to tackle problems such as stagnant wages and changing consumer habits. The GST is a good example of how populist economic promises do little to serve the rakyat’s interest in the long term.
Conclusion: Changing Currents of Populism in post-GE14 Malaysia? Following Pakatan Harapan’s surprise victory in the fourteenth general elections, their first hundred days in government saw the “zeroization” of the GST and its eventual replacement with the SST. As of now, the government has focused on dealing with the 1MDB scandal and prosecuting figures associated with the scandal, renegotiating project contracts and attempting to slowly reform institutions. However, they have also rolled back or delayed some popular promises such as the promise to abolish tolls, though it is still too early to see where PH’s numerous promises will head in the coming years. Now that they are in power, PH’s populist language has changed somewhat whereby current government ministers talk about how the challenges currently faced by the government are linked and said to be caused by the failings of the BN.
Author’s Biography
Aira Azhari is Senior Researcher in Democracy and Governance at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), a public policy research organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Liverpool, UK and a Master of Laws (Public International Law) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has provided analysis on political and economic issues to Malaysian and international press, including Channel News Asia and the BBC.
Faiz Abdul Halim was an Assistant Researcher under the Democracy and Governance Unit at IDEAS. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
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