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1 1 (July 21, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveikk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Infirming Ih legislative d bate since 1914 Malaysia Updated July 21, 2022 Overview The Federation of Malaysia is a majority Muslim parliamentary democracy in Southeast Asia. It has an ethnically and religiously diverse population of 32.7 million, with a Malay majority and large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Malaysia is considered a middle-income country and is relatively prosperous among Southeast Asian nations. Malaysia has undergone significant political upheaval in recent years, as three separate coalition governments have held power since the last national election in 2018. In a country that had been led by a single political coalition since independence in 1957, the period of instability has raised questions about the strength of Malaysia's political institutions and about Malaysian democracy, as two of the ruling coalitions were formed without elections. The current government is headed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who came to power in August 2021 following the collapse of the previous government. The next general election is due in 2023, although some observers believe the government will go to the polls early in an attempt to consolidate its legitimacy through elections. 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. Malaysia was a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and sees 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 constrain 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. Malaysia 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 pursue a variety of trade negotiations. 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. Demnocracy and Politics in Malaysia Until May 2018, Malaysia was 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. Figure I. Malaysia in Brief ivMany observers neraimea the Zu16 election as a peaceru and democratic change of government in a country long seen as an authoritarian democracy, even though the elected Pakatan Heripan coalition was led by Mahathir Mohamad, who was previously Prime Minister and UMNO leader for nearly two decades. The elected coalition, however, collapsed in February 2020, and power transferred to a coalition which included the main Barisan Nasional components, headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. In August that coalition lost its majority in the lower house of parliament, resulting in a transfer of power to another Barisan Nasional coalition headed by Prime Minister Ismail, an UMNO vice president. U.S.-Malaysia Relations The relationship between the United States and Malaysia is complex. In the 1980s and 1990s, under Mahathir, Malaysia was one of the leading voices behind building the East Asia Economic Caucus, and Asia-only regional institutions that excluded the United States. Since then, Malaysia has generally welcomed a broader U.S. role in the region. 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. Many argue that broad sensitivities in Malaysia constrain the establishment of a deeper strategic relationship. Areas of friction in U.S.- Malaysia ties have included U.S. concerns about human rights, as well as Malaysia's opposition to U.S. military interventions in the Middle East and U.S. support for Israel.

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