The Malaysian Election Commission

Navigating Electoral Authoritarianism and Political Change

Bibliographic Data

ID21832906
AuthorsDian A H Shah (0000-0002-0857-2543, National University of Singapore, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume16
IssueS1
PagesS105-S120
Publication date2021-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Journal of Comparative Law (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1932-0205 • E-ISSN: 2194-6078
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/asjcl.2021.31
OpenAlexW4200586968
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

The urgency of electoral reforms has long been identified as a key to improving democracy in Malaysia. For decades, electoral manipulation through gerrymandering, malapportionment, and issues with the electoral roll and conduct of elections have undermined democratic quality and competition. The Malaysian Election Commission (EC) has – understandably – come under scrutiny for its role in facilitating and sustaining these problems. However, what requires a greater level of attention is the question of how the EC – despite its position as a constitutional institution that exists independently from the other branches of government – has operated in ways that undermined Malaysia's democracy and maintained a dominant party regime for over six decades. This Article brings this to light by examining the structural, institutional, and political conditions that shape the EC's operation, particularly with regard to re-delineation of constituencies and the conduct of elections. It argues that flaws in constitutional design, along with subsequent constitutional amendments, have rendered the EC vulnerable to partisan capture and thus affected its ability to function as an independent constitutional institution. In addition, this Article demonstrates how changes in political imperatives and judicial restraint in reviewing the EC's decision-making have also contributed to the deficiencies in Malaysia's electoral democracy

Authoritarianism · Commission · Democracy · Economics · Gerrymandering · Institution · Parliament · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Scrutiny · Asian Studies and History · Indonesian Election Politics and Participation · Law · Public Administration · Taxation and Compliance Studies

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