Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State under Mahathir

by In-Won Hwang

This book is an innovative analysis of regime maintenance and transformation in Malaysia. It goes beyond familiar approaches centred on communal politics, or the corporate workings of Malaysia Inc., to stress the importance of power maintenance — tracing a path from consociational bargaining, to authoritarian UMNO dominance, to Dr Mahathir's personal dominance.

What others are saying

". . . a fine analysis of Malaysian political trends and a valuable foundation for thinking about Mahathir's future . . ." —Harold Crouch, Australian National University

"Among the many books written about Mahathir Mohamad's premiership, none does a better job than this one of chronicling the systemic decline of the importance of state institutions and the rise of a political system dominated by one individual. This is an exceptionally balanced and thoughful book that not only theorises about this progressive personalization of Malaysian politics but provides an unsually rich analysis to support this contention." —Edmund Terence Gomez, University of Malaya

"Hwang has written a richly riveting account of contemporary Malaysian politics with analytical insights on an important period of democratic transition in Malaysian history. This was the period dominated by the singular personality of Mahathir Mohamad. Hwang's tome certainly bears the mark of a meticulously researched piece of work. Dr Hwang's book with its numerous insights into the nitty-gritty of Malay politics is a must-read for all Malaysian specialists who want to understand well the major obstacles to democratic transition and consolidation in Malaysia" —Johan Saravanamuttu, Universiti Sains Malaysia, in Japanese Journal of Political Science.