CHINESE POLITICS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The proposition that Chinese politics in Malaysia is at the crossroads is widely accepted. This view appears to be justified in the presence of a divisive Chinese community and consequently, the mushrooming of political parties, each claiming to represent the true interests of that community. Paradoxically, the persistence of communal politics in Malaysia has not served to unite the Chinese into a single cohesive group. The dilemmas facing Chinese politics are reinforced by the emergence of a control form of democracy, where the scope of Chinese politics is increasingly constricted by Malay political dominance. This study, however, examines how the Chinese community sought to represent itself, and in this respect, the nature and forms that Chinese politics assumed since the early days of the Alliance, will be analyzed. This analysis will be conducted within a theoretical framework: the change of the Malaysian political system from a consociational to a control democracy. This change in itself, encapsulates the essence of bi-modal societies - where the competition between two major ethnic blocs often result in the dominance and control of one bloc. By examining Chinese politics in its present scope, an attempt will be made to outline its future prospects. It is hoped that this study will provide, in addition, some insight and answers as to why the Chinese in Malaysia, as one of the largest minority groups, are unable to attain a political position that is commensurate with their numbers. This study is relevant to Peninsular (West) Malaysia only.