말레이시아 우월정당체제 붕괴와 정체성 정치: 여론조사 분석을 중심으로

초록

Why and how did the 61-year-old predominant party system in Malaysia collapse? This study attempts to answer the question by longitudinally examining the extent to which the opposition mobilizes the broader segments of the electorate rather than being confined to ethnic cleavages. Findings from a statistical analysis indicate that the creation of a united opposition coalition effectively mobilized voting against Malaysia’s previously predominant National Front (BN). In particular, a stronger tendency to vote for the opposition coalition was shared by relatively affluent non-Muslims and educated Malay Muslims. This inter-ethnic and cross-racial voter mobilization, however, did not last long since the formation of a third coalition led by parties whose support bases are exclusively Malays. This study thus also confirms that the country’s longstanding ‘identity politics’ has remained intact amid the rise of new political dynamics.

키워드