Illusions of Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People [Hardcover]

Illusions of Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People offers an up-to-date and broad analysis of the contemporary state of Malaysian politics and society. Transcending disciplinary boundaries, it offers a look at Malaysian politics not only through the lens of political science but also anthropology, cultural studies, international relations, political economy and legal studies touching on both overlooked topics in Malaysian political life as well as the emerging trends which will shape Malaysia's future. Covering silat martial arts, Malaysia's constitutional identity, emergency legislation, the South China Sea dilemma, ISIS discourse, zakat payment, the fallout from the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia's green movement, Illusions of Democracy charts the complex and multi-faceted nature of political life in a semi-authoritarian state, breaking down the illusions which keep it functioning, to uncover the mechanisms which really underlie the paradoxical longevity of Malaysia's political, economic and social system.This book offers an up-to-date and broad analysis of the contemporary state of Malaysian politics and society.Foreword by Joseph Chinyong Liow, Acknowledgments, Introduction by Sophie Lemi?re, Part One: The (Mis-)Rules of Ethno-Politics Chapter 1 Demi Agama, Bangsa dan Negara: Silat Martial Arts and the 'Third Line' in Defence of Religion, Race, and the Malaysian State Lawrence Ross Chapter 2 The Real World? Fabricating Legitimacy in a Semi-Authoritarian State Sophie Lemi?re Chapter 3 Malaysia's Constitutional Identity: A Chimera? Mohd Nazim Ganti Shaari Chapter 4 Rebooting the Emergency: Najib's Law 'Reform' and the Normalisation of Crisis Amanda Whiting Chapter 5 Federalism in Serambi Mekah: Management of Islamic Education in Kelantan Azmil Tayyeb Part Two: The Local Scene and the International Game Chapter 6 Malaysian Politics and the South China Sea Dilemma Alessandro Uras Chapter 7 The Construction of Malaysia's Foreign PolÓ)