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Beyond the L ook E ast P olicy: U nited M alays N ational O rganisation and the Fall of the L iberal D emocratic P arty in J apan
Author(s) -
Ismail Muhamad Takiyuddin,
Abdul Hamid Ahmad Fauzi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
asian politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1943-0787
pISSN - 1943-0779
DOI - 10.1111/aspp.12090
Subject(s) - politics , power (physics) , political science , economics , political economy , law , physics , quantum mechanics
This article argues that the strong relationship between M alaysia and J apan is also stimulated by symbiotic ties binding together both countries' respective major political parties, i.e., the U nited M alays N ational O rganisation ( UMNO ) and the L iberal D emocratic P arty ( LDP ). UMNO , especially under the leadership of M ahathir M ohamad (1981–2003), derived political lessons from developments affecting LDP in J apan. First, emulation of J apan's success in economic development became the basis for the L ook E ast P olicy launched in 1981. Second, which is the focus of this article, lessons were drawn from the failure of LDP to retain power twice, in 1993 and in 2009. Although LDP 's reversal of fortunes served as a landmark for UMNO in situating changes to its trajectory since 1993, the analogical reasoning and political lessons applied by UMNO leaders were, to a large extent, flawed. Arguably, politicians frequently do misjudge in analogizing between different situations which at a glance seem to be comparable.