RSIS Monograph No. 30

The 13^th Malaysian General Election proved to be most hard-fought in Malaysia’s history yet. The result of the election bear testament to this claim; despite winning more than half of the votes, the opposition still cannot break Barisan Nasional’s dominance in parliament. This collection of articles from our experts attempts to underline the dynamics behind the result. We explore pertinent themes that influenced the outcome including identity politics, religious dynamics, as well as the impact of public policy agendas, not only from the theoretical perspective, but also through intensive fieldwork. At the same time, the aftermath of the elections was scrutinised in order to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex political underpinnings in Malaysia today. This book will be relevant for students of Malaysian politics and the general public alike.