Party Politics in Southeast Asia: Organization- Money- Influence The political parties in Malaysia (original) (raw)

Malaysian politics and socioeconomic structures have always been viewed as plural, communal, or divided (Weiss, 2003; Case, 1995; Jesudason, 1995; Crouch, 1992 (bl; Milne & Mauzy, 1986). However, the political and economic momentum has been steadily supporting interethnic relations between the Malay, Chinese and lndian populations. Right after independence in 1957, the political landscape in Malaysia evolved and focused attention towards better alliances among the three major, parties, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian lndian Congress (MlC). The alliance was called Perikatan and later changed its name to Barisan Nasional (National Front) in 1973. The Barisan-led government has achieved electoral victory and managed to retain its legitimacy through many strategies such as participating in the complex Malay quests for securing the privileges of the Malay majority, insuring Chinese business activities and improving lndian's demand for socio-economic change (Case, 1995).

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