Why Malaysia’s identity politics isn’t like the global right-wing rise

Malaysia's political landscape has always been shaped by identity politics, unlike many Western nations where right-wing politics is a more recent development, according to political analysts. Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Oh Ei Sun from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs noted that the rise of right-wing politics in the US and UK only began in recent decades, as both countries attempted to "deracialise" their societies after World War II and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, respectively.

In Malaysia, Article 153 of the Federal Constitution makes the special position of Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak a fundamental part of the political environment, making identity politics an enduring aspect of the nation's governance. Analysts describe this as a re-emergence of racial sentiments rather than a new phenomenon.

Unlike Western democracies, where poverty is often linked to the rise of far-right sentiment, Malaysia's governance records have not been sufficient on their own to rally support. The Negeri Sembilan polls demonstrated this, as the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional alliance won all Malay-majority seats, despite a satisfactory performance by the previous state government and the high regard for ex-Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.

The analysts argue that Malaysia's political system is not a liberal democratic order as some may perceive, and that the future of Malaysia lies in the type of Islamic political ideology espoused by Malay-dominated powers. They emphasize the importance of embracing pluralist Islamism within a democratic framework, rather than the extremist or overly conservative forms of Islamism that dominate global headlines.