Malaysia Finds a Polarized Place in the Trump-Brexit World
Society is deeply divided and turns on disaffection and fear, undermining whoever leads the government.
One Malaysia for whom?
Photographer: Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty
It's time to stop seeing the rising geographic, cultural and economic divisions within democracies as a uniquely American or Western European phenomenon. Malaysia is giving them a run for their money.
An urban-rural divide, the politics of faith, perceptions of identity and degrees of comfort with the globalized economy don't explain just Donald Trump's presidential victory in 2016 and the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union. The same forces bedevil this strategically important Asian nation, making it hard to govern no matter how long the new prime minister remains in power. Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in Sunday by the country’s monarch, despite his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, claiming he has majority support in parliament. Mahathir wants the legislature to decide. Malaysia’s challenges will clearly persist well into the future.