How Fast Can Malaysian Democracy Gallop Before It Stumbles?

Against all odds, Malaysia saw a change in government in May 2018 for the first time in its history. Should the new government remain stable over the next two years, deep changes in popular culture and civil consciousness, including participation in grassroots politics can be expected.

Malaysia’s apparent failure, since independence in 1957, to live up to its democratic potential had undermined general faith in its ability to be democratic in spirit as well as in form.  With a new found vigour and renewed confidence in its democratic institutions, the situation in Malaysia is now about deciding the speed at which its free gallop is  maintained for fear of it stumbling.

Dato’ Dr Ooi Kee Beng is the Executive Director of Penang Institute. He was the Deputy Director (2011-2017) of Singapore’s ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, where he had been a fellow since 2004. He is the founder-editor of the popular magazine Penang Monthly and the policy briefs ISSUES (Penang Institute, Malaysia) and ISEAS Perspective (ISEAS, Singapore). He is also editor of Trends in Southeast Asia (ISEAS), and long-time columnist for The Edge Malaysia.

MEET THE SPEAKER

Dato’ Dr Ooi Kee Beng is the Executive Director of Penang Institute. He was the Deputy Director (2011-2017) of Singapore’s ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, where he had been a fellow since 2004. Born and raised in Penang, he received his PhD in Sinology from Stockholm University, where he was attached in various capacities for 22 years. He is the founder-editor of the popular magazine Penang Monthly and the policy briefs ISSUES (Penang Institute, Malaysia) and ISEAS Perspective (ISEAS, Singapore). He is also editor of Trends in Southeast Asia (ISEAS), and long-time columnist for The Edge Malaysia.   His book, The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time (2006), won the “Award of Excellence for Best Writing Published in Book Form on Any Aspect of Asia (Non-Fiction)”. Other noted works include The Eurasian Core and Its Edges: Dialogues with Wang Gungwu on the History of the World; Young and Malay: Growing Up in Multicultural Malaysia; Yusof Ishak: A Man of Many Firsts; In Lieu of Ideology: An Intellectual Biography of Goh Keng Swee, and: Lim Kit Siang: Defying the Odds.