Malaysia since the Sheraton Move: Pandemic, Politics, Popularity

MALAYSIA STUDIES PROGRAMME WEBINAR

About the Webinar

Malaysia has weathered health, economic and political storms for two years. The “Sheraton Move”, which saw Perikatan Nasional seize power from Pakatan Harapan (PH) in February 2020 – just 20 months after the historic 14th general election – coincided with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Muhyiddin administration imposed a series of lockdowns while mitigating the economic impact through various stimulus packages, but its brief rule was marred by coalitional instability, a controversial emergency declaration, and a deep 2020 recession. Covid-19 resurged in mid-2021 in Malaysia, but a steady vaccination rollout helped contain the Delta variant.

In August, Malaysia’s government flipped again, with Ismail Sabri emerging as Prime Minister of another unstable government reliant on an MoU with PH to provide a buffer. Economic reopening has boosted recovery. Cost of living woes persist, but Barisan Nasional (BN) is enjoying electoral momentum – although UMNO grows increasingly restless – and PH is reeling from dismal results in three state elections. Delays in tabling a party-hopping bill, a key MoU promise, strain bipartisanship.

This webinar brings insights on Malaysia’s many upheavals, from the vantage point of PH’s Cabinet and the current federal opposition, addressing:

• What are the successes and failures of Malaysia’s Covid-19 response under the Muhyiddin and Ismail Sabri administrations?
• Will parliament pass anti-hopping legislation and can the government-PH MoU hold until July?
• How will PH compete at the next general election against a resurgent BN?