ABSTRACT
Malaysia is in many respects Southeast Asia’s most admirable achiever. Though generally classified as an illiberal democracy, Malaysia is more pluralist than Singapore, more politically stable than Thailand, and less corrupt than the Philippines. Malaysia has also more successfully managed ethnic and religious conflict than its geocultural cousin Indonesia. With a population of 30.5 million people and a per capita gross national income (GNI) of $10,660, Malaysia recently achieved newly industrialized country status. It currently boasts a poverty rate of less than 2 percent. Only the citizens of microstates Singapore and Brunei enjoy a higher standard of living in the region. The Malaysian success story is especially noteworthy because of the country’s geographic and racial diversity.
