The Developmental Clientelist State: The Malaysian Case

Abstract

The notion of developmental clientelism, defined as the ability of a given state to emphasize development while practicing cronyism, is used to describe the contemporary Malaysian state. The respective roles of multinational corporations, state entrepreneurship, Chinese & Malaysian capital, internalized clientelism, & privatization in Malaysia's developmental clientelism model are discussed. Several factors that have prevented Malaysia's economic system from becoming overwhelmed by corruption are identified: trade unions' relative lack of authority; the defeat of communist sentiment prior to independence; the existence of a coherent state structure; reliance on natural resources to construct infrastructure; & the dominant political party's incorporation of non-Malaysian parties. The advantages & shortcomings of the developmental clientelism model in Malaysia (eg, the improvement of citizens' lives & the penchant for scandal, respectively) are examined. It is concluded that developmental clientelism is an alternative to the capitalist models prevalent in East Asian nations. J. W. Parker.