The politics of manipulation: Malaysia 2018-2020

• Main Author: Moten, Abdul Rashid
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia 2020
• Subjects: JF Political institutions (General); JF799 Political rights. Political participation; JQ715 Politics and Government in Malaysia
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/86909/1/86909_The%20Politics%20of%20Manipulation.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86909/7/86909_The%20politics%20of%20manipulation_WoS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86909/8/86909_The%20politics%20of%20manipulation_SCOPUS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86909/; https://journals.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse/index.php/id/article/view/1653/935; https://journals.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse/index.php/id/article/view/1653

The 14th General Election (GE-14) held on May 9, 2018, ended the 61-year uninterrupted rule of the Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN), since the nation’s independence in 1957. The ruling coalition lost to the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH). The BN lost the power despite all the trickeries used by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Mahathir Mohamad manipulated and lured the opposition coalition and was sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia. However, after 22 months, Mahathir resigned, and succeeded by a new National Alliance. The 2018-2020 crises were triggered by personalities and their political manoeuvrings. This study brings political manipulation to the fore to explain the dramatic political transitions in Malaysia resulting from the general elections held in 2018, and the dramatic change in the political landscape two years after the GE-14. It provides a systematic overview of the electoral process and an assessment of how manipulation shaped the country’s political environment. The study is based on a mixture of media studies, library research, and weeks of fieldwork conducting focus group interviews with party activists across Malaysia both before and after the 2018 election. Some of the actors who were affected by this politics of manipulation were interviewed .******************************************************************************** Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 (PRU14) yang diadakan pada 9 Mei 2018, mengakhiri pemerintahan Barisan Nasional (Barisan Nasional, BN) selama 61 tahun, sejak kemerdekaan negara pada tahun 1957. Gabungan pemerintah telah kalah dari gabungan pembangkang, Pakatan Harapan (PH). BN kehilangan kuasa walaupun terdapat segala tipu daya yang digunakan oleh Perdana Menteri, Najib Tun Razak. Mahathir Mohamad telahi memanipulasi dan mempengaruhi pakatan pembangkang dan dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia ketujuh. Namun, setelah 22 bulan, Mahathir mengundurkan diri, dan digantikan oleh Perikatan Nasional yang baru. Krisis 2018-2020 dicetuskan oleh keperibadian dan gerakan politik mereka. Kajian ini telah memanipulasi politik ke depan untuk menjelaskan peralihan politik yang dramatik di Malaysia akibat pilihan raya umum yang diadakan pada tahun 2018, dan perubahan dramatik dalam lanskap politik dua tahun selepas PRU 14. Ia memberikan gambaran sistematik mengenai proses pemilihan dan penilaian bagaimana manipulasi itu dapat membentuk persekitaran politik negara. Kajian ini berdasarkan daripada hasil gabungan kajian media, penyelidikan perpustakaan, dan mingguan kerja lapangan telah yang dilakukan menemubual kumpulan fokus dengan aktivis parti di seluruh Malaysia sebelum dan selepas pilihan raya 2018. Beberapa pelakon yang ditemuramah terpengaruh dengan manipulasi politik