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Economic Reforms in the Aftermath of Regime Change in Malaysia
Author(s) -
Lee Cassey
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
asian economic policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.58
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1748-3131
pISSN - 1832-8105
DOI - 10.1111/aepr.12295
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , alliance , politics , manifesto , political economy , general election , economics , independence (probability theory) , government (linguistics) , economic reform , ethnic group , political science , economic policy , market economy , law , linguistics , statistics , philosophy , mathematics
The 14th general election in May 2018 brought about an unexpected change in political rule in Malaysia for the first time since the country's independence in 1957. In its first year of rule, the new Pakatan Harapan‐led government implemented several populist economic policies that were drawn from its election manifesto. While these policies may have moderated populist politics to some extent, they have also weakened the government's fiscal capacity. Ethnic fragmentation and a strengthened opposition alliance have also made it difficult for the new government to implement its ambitious institutional reform agenda.