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1 1 (June 09, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbxz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.ri E.$~ & mppm qq\ p\w -- , gn'a', go I aS 11LULANJILiN, Updated June 9, 2020 Malaysia The Federation of Malaysia is a majority Muslim parliamentary democracy in Southeast Asia. It has an ethnically and religiously diverse population of 32.6 million, with a Malay majority and large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Malaysia is considered a middle-income country, relatively prosperous among Southeast Asian nations. Malaysia has undergone significant political upheaval in 2020, as shifts in its ruling coalition deposed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and brought his former party- mate Muhyiddin Yassin into power on March 1, just as the country's Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was expanding. Mahathir's ouster through non-electoral processes raised questions about Malaysia's democratic system, as the country had undergone its first democratic change of government less than two years earlier. The ruling coalition now includes two parties that had been defeated in those historic 2018 elections. The new government's initial response to the spread of COVID-19 garnered criticism, as Malaysia saw a rapid rise of COVID- 19 cases before closing its borders on March 18, 2020. The spread has since stabilized. Despite its chaotic political processes, Malaysia plays an active role in regional diplomacy, and it has been a partner in various U.S. initiatives in Asia, including trade and security initiatives as well as efforts to combat terrorism and religious extremism. It is one of four Southeast Asian nations that have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, and its export-led economy has encouraged it to undertake trade negotiations with the United States and others. Malaysia was a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), from which the United States withdrew in 2017, and it is one of 11 members of the renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), although it has not yet ratified the agreement. Malaysia was an original member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), seeing itself as both a regional leader and a moderate voice within the Islamic world. Despite generally cooperative bilateral relations with the United States, some issues block closer ties, including Malaysian opposition to much of U.S. policy in the Middle East, and U.S. concerns over some Malaysian economic and human-rights policies. Until May 2018, Malaysia had been ruled by a single political coalition since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The Barisan Nasional was led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a Malay- nationalist party that draws its membership predominantly from the country's Malay majority. During its lengthy period in power, UMNO enacted a series of economic and social preferences for bumiputera (ethnic Malays and indigenous peoples), and it derived much of its appeal from issues of ethnic identity. Mahathir was an UMNO member until 2016, when he left to form a new party, Bersatu. The subsequent 2018 election led to a peaceful and democratic change of government in a region where many analysts have perceived a decline in democratic institutions in recent years. Many heralded the peaceful transfer of power as a sign of democratic development in a country long seen as an authoritarian democracy. However, some analysts argued that the pace of political and economic reform under Mahathir's government was slow. In early 2020, rivalries within two of its three component parties led to a vote of no confidence in Mahathir and the rise of Muhyiddin, a veteran politician who suffered a bout of cancer in 2018, on March 1. The new coalition's future remains unclear, as it is uncertain whether Muhyuddin has a safe parliamentary majority. On May 18, Malaysia's parliament held a one-day session, declining to vote on an opposition challenge to Muhyuddin's government, and recessing due to COVID-19 concerns. The move drew criticism from the opposition, as have moves by Malaysia's Attorney General to drop corruption charges against two prominent UNMO leaders. .......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ... . S t ro g , g m R ::6 ......................... lop lation/ara 342.6 rniis M i a(comple oe.) Bi~tlatea ties depeedfllwigh angte reltioni Nw exeaePo' Cmreesv Partershian 204typeeetoiialdvlpmnsi b~th cont.ld. toncrtain PMme Nisnistenr Chief oJf State: GDP Sector of orighr agri-ic~trf.%f duv3.% Ref igio0m: ka In I3, gtiddisnt! 1Y3% Crianty.% Source: CIA World Factbook. USMah~aysia Ret.auwnm The relationship between the United States and Malaysia is a complex one. Bilateral ties deepened following the Obama Administration's strategic rebalancing to Asia, and the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2014. More recent political developments in both countries have led to uncertainties about the future. In

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