Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T08:14:27.228Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Practice of Asian Democracy in Kelantan State, Malaysia, 1959–2013

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2018

AMER SAIFUDE GHAZALI ,
ABU HANIFAH HARIS  and
ZULKANAIN ABDUL RAHMAN
AMER SAIFUDE GHAZALI
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, [email protected]
ABU HANIFAH HARIS
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, [email protected]
ZULKANAIN ABDUL RAHMAN
Affiliation:
Associate Professor at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The debates on Asian democracy began 30 years ago. Western countries have often promoted liberal democracy as being the genuine democracy, giving justice to the people and being able to meet the needs of their communities. However, at the same time, some Asian countries practice democracy that promotes Asian values, which are very different from Western values. Western countries describe Asian democracy as an excuse for some leaders to maintain power in their respective countries, for example Malaysia. Critics have pointed out that some Asian leaders have used authoritarianism or despotism in order to mitigate the weaknesses of their rule. Asian democracy is practiced in Kelantan where the PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) continued to maintain power for 23 years, from 1990 to 2013. Factors that have contributed to the long rule of the PAS party include socio-political stability, including political parties who were clean and competent and leaders who are knowledgeable and pious.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , June 2018 , pp. 105 - 121
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbot, J. (2001), ‘Vanquishing Banquo's Ghost: The Anwar Ibrahim Affair and Its Impact on Malaysian Politics’, Asian Studies Review, 25 (3): 285–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahmad Sarji, Abdul Hamid (1993), Malaysia's Vision 2020: Understanding the Concept, Implications and Challenges, Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk Publications.Google Scholar
Alghanim, A. (2002), ‘Religious Movement and Economic and Social Development: Islamic Government Experience in Kelantan State, Malaysia, PhD Thesis, Northern Illinois University.Google Scholar
Barr, M.D. (2004), Cultural Politics and Asian Values: The Tepid War, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Beekun, R. and Badawi, J. (1999), Leadership: An Islamic Perspective, Beltsville: Amana Publications.Google Scholar
Beetham, D. (2000), Democracy and Human Rights, Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Carothers, T. (1997), ‘Think Again: Democracy’, Foreign Policy, 107: 11–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Case, W.F. and Liew, C.T. (2006), ‘How Committed Is the PAS to Democracy and How Do We Know It?’, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 28 (3): 385–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cerney, P.G. (1999), ‘Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy’, European Journal of Political Research, 36: 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, R.J. and Ong, N.N.T. (2005) ‘Authority Orientations and Democratic Attitudes: A Test of the “Asian Values” Hypothesis’, Japanese Journal of Political Science, 6 (2): 211–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emmerson, D.K. (1995), ‘Singapore and the Asian Values Debate’, Journal of Democracy, 6 (4): 95–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Felker, G. (2000), ‘Malaysia in 1999: Mahathir's Pyrrhic Deliverance’, Asian Survey, 40 (1): 49–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Funston, N.J. (1980), Malay Politics in Malaysia: A Study of the United Malays National Organisation and Party Islam, Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Educational Books.Google Scholar
Hague, C. and Harrop, M. (2001), Comparative Government and Politics, Hampshire: Palgrave.Google Scholar
Hilley, J. (2001), Malaysia: Mahathirism, Hegemony and the New Opposition, London: Zed Books.Google Scholar
Hood, S.J. (1998), ‘The Myth of Asian Style Democracy’, Asian Survey, 38 (9): 853–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huntington, S.P. (1991), The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Google Scholar
Hussin, Mutalib (1993), Islam in Malaysia: From Revivalism to Islamic state?, Singapore: Singapore University Press.Google Scholar
Hussin, Mutalib (2000), ‘Illiberal Democracy and the Future of Opposition in Singapore’, Third World Quarterly, 21 (2): 313–42.Google Scholar
Khoo, Boo Teik (2002), ‘Nationalism, Capitalism and Asian Values’, in Francis, Loh Kok Wah and Teik, Khoo Boo (ed.), Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and Practices, Surrey: Curzon Press.Google Scholar
Kim, Y.M. (1997), ‘Asian Style Democracy: A Critique from East Asia’, Asian Survey, 37 (12): 1119–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Xiaorong (1996), ‘Asian Values and the Universality of Human Rights’, Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly, 16 (2): 18–23.Google Scholar
Lingle, C. (1996), Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism, Fairfax: The Locke Institute.Google Scholar
Mahathir, Mohamad (1970), The Malay Dilemma, Singapore: Asia Pacific Press.Google Scholar
Means, G.P. (1996), ‘Soft Authoritarianism in Malaysia and Singapore’, Journal of Democracy, 7 (4): 103–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neher, C.D. (1994), ‘Asian Style Democracy’, Asian Survey, 34 (11): 949–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Loughlin, J. et al. (1998), ‘The Diffusion of Democracy, 1946–1994’, Annals of the Association of United States of American Geographers, 88 (44): 545–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohaegbulam, F.U. (1999), A Concise Introduction to American Foreign Policy, New York: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Robison, R. (1996), ‘The Politics of Asian Value’, Pacific Review, 9 (3): 310–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodan, G. and Hewison, K. (1996), ‘A Clash of Culture or Convergence of Political Ideology’, in Robison, R. (ed.), Pathways to Asia: The Politics of Engagement, St Leonard: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Shin, D.C. (2007), ‘Democratization: Perspectives from Global Citizenries’, in Dalton, Russell J. and Klingemann, Hans-Dieter (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Political Behaviour, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Tanji, M. and Lawson, S. (1997), ‘“Democratic Peace” and “Asian Democracy”: A Universalist-Particularist Tension’, Alternatives: Global, Local, Political, 22 (1): 135–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiss, M.L. (2000), ‘The 1999 Malaysian General Election: Issues, Insulting and Irregularities’, Asian Survey, 40 (3): 413–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welsh, B. (1996), ‘Attitudes towards Democracy in Malaysia: Challenges to the Regime’, Asian Survey, 36 (9): 882–903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar