Malaysia's Shifting Political Alliances

New Naratif's Southeast Asia Dispatches

Last week, a senior Malaysian politician claimed to have the majority of support amongst Members of Parliament to form a new government. This comes as no surprise to Malaysians, who have watched helplessly as their politicians jumped ship to other parties throughout the year. Some of these defections resulted in a coup that took place in February. While Malaysia is no stranger to the phenomenon of party hopping, the constant shift in allegiances has led many Malaysians to feel like their mandate has been betrayed. Many are now calling for an anti-hopping law to be introduced as a solution to the political instability.

On this week’s episode, Deborah Augustin speaks to Professor Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist working on political institutions and group conflicts about the feasibility of an anti-hopping law in Malaysia and the larger systemic issues that have led to these shifting political alliances.