Malaysia Political Changes amid Covid-19

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine Malaysian's perspective on political changes in Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only did the 2018 election return Mahathir to power, but it also ended the six-decades-long one-party hegemony of Barisan Nasional (BN). Yet Mahathir's return to power is not only potentially transformative for Malaysian domestic politics. It also has far-reaching strategic implications. Similar to previous elections, the battle lines of GE14 will be drawn mainly on domestic issues rather than foreign affairs. In fact, there is a dearth of scholarly literature examining the precise relation between Malaysia's foreign policy and general elections. Domestically, the victory of Pakatan Harapan (PH) to win 2018 National Election had paved a way for several changes in the nation. However, after 22 months the PH government collapsed amidst a dramatic series of events in February 2020; with major issues of failure in fulfilling their manifesto. A new government overthrew the PH ruling side when one of the parties withdrew from the PH coalition, forming new government consisting Muhyiddin's new Perikatan Nasional (PN). Ironically, this new government is argued to survive the immense internal and external challenges it faces in the coming months due to Covid-19 pandemic. Fundamental policies in managing the pandemic brings crucial accountability that highlighted their governance credibility. This study thus focuses on the perception of the Malaysian community amidst the changes towards this political scene. To understand this, interviews and questionnaires were adopted online which involved 950 respondents randomly selected. The data was then analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software application. The results show that the respondents are well informed, knowledgeable and aware of political change issues as the pattern is fairly consistent by sex, age, and ethnic grouping. Findings from this study provide insight into the importance of awareness in generating political awareness and public