The Outlook for Malaysia’s 15th General Election
MALAYSIA STUDIES PROGRAMME WEBINAR
About the Webinar
Parliament has been dissolved, and Malaysia will be holding its 15th General Election on November 19. COVID restrictions have loosened and campaigning is reverting to normal. However, structural changes have altered the ‘playing field’ of the election, with implications for how parties will organize, form alliances, and campaign.
Since 2008, elections have been contested by two national coalitions, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat/Harapan. While PAS played a regional role in the 2018 election, the upcoming parliamentary election will be the first to be contested by three national coalitions – all of whom have held power in the recent past. In addition to multi-cornered fights producing unexpected results, it is likely that the resulting parliamentary majority will be narrow.
The ‘rules of the game’ have also changed, with the voting age lowered from 21 to 18 and automatic voter registration (AVR) enabling more Malaysians to vote. And, for the first time ever, only three state elections will be held alongside parliamentary polls, further upending traditional campaign models.
The election also takes place against an uncertain economic backdrop, with savings and pension contributions at an all-time low and inflation steadily climbing. However, PM Ismail Sabri’s announced but unpassed budget promises attractive if remote possibilities.
This event’s speakers will analyze different aspects of the upcoming Malaysian General Election and their implications.
About the Speakers
Adib Zalkapli is a Director at Bower-GroupAsia (BGA), a government affairs and public policy consulting firm that specialises in the Asia-Pacific.
Dr Cassey Lee is a Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Regional Economic Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore.
James Chai is a Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, looking into the impact of youths to Malaysian politics, and a columnist at MalaysiaKini.
Dr Tricia Yeoh is CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
Dr Francis E. Hutchinson is a Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
Kevin Zhang is Senior Research Officer in the Malaysia Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, with research interests in electoral politics, labour markets, and transport.
Registration
This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.
Please register here to receive your unique link for joining the webinar.