Dual coalition system in Malaysia: beyond communal politics?

Abstract

For the first time since 1969, Malaysian politics witnessed the formation of a significant (albeit rather unstable) dual coalition system, when the opposition front Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) successfully challenged the Barisan Nasional (National Front)'s traditional two-thirds dominance of parliament in the 2008 General Election. With the parliamentary margin between the two political coalitions narrowed significantly, scholars and pundits hailed these developments as the dawn of a true democracy in Malaysia. Nevertheless, will this political opportunity fade away like those in the past, or will it prompt a full-blown democratization and establish a sustainable dual coalition system in Malaysia?