Pilihan Raya dan Politik Malaysia Pasca PRU 2018: Persaingan, Dinamik dan Implikasi (Elections and Politics In Malaysia Post GE 2018: Contestations, Dynamics and Implications)

Abstract

The development of electoral politics in Malaysia, after the fall of Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election (GE-14), is both dynamics and fascinating. The new opposition, now led by BN has lost, rather easily, in all of the four by-elections held in the last six months of 2018. But intriguingly in 2019, BN has managed to make a huge come back by winning all of the elections its contested despite being fiercely challenged by the new ruling party, the Pakatan Harapan (PH). This article, therefore, aims to explore and analyse the political development in the new Malaysia with the focus on the dynamics of party competition in the nine by-elections held in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Based on media reporting and library research, this article argues on the return of a two-coalition party system in Malaysia in 2019 with the materalisation of a formal pact between two major opposition party – BN and Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS). This article also provides some reflections on the dynamics and implications of the current politics in Malaysia, and towards GE-15 with growing ideological and cultural divisions among the populace since GE-14.