ABSTRACT
Malaysia is ethnically diverse, but with a Malay-Muslim majority. Long-serving premier Mahathir Mohamad maintained stability even as he spouted ethnonationalist populist ideas. However, with increased political space in the 21st century, more Malay leaders have begun using various popu-list approaches to attract votes. Economic populism appeals to the common man as it involves advocating economic policies intended to benefit ordinary citizens, often criticizing established elites, corporations and economic systems that are perceived as exploitative or unfair. Another form of populism that has become increasingly common is Islamist civilizational populism, which leverages religious sentiments within the global ummah or Muslim community, promising a return to traditional Islamic values and governance and often portraying secular or Western ideologies as adversarial. Such rhetoric is intended to further separate Malay-Muslims, “the people”, from the non-Malay “others”. This chapter examines five Malay leaders who have used the rhetoric of either economic populism or Islamist civilizational populism as a political strategy. It claims that Malay voters can be persuaded by Islamist or economic populism to transfer power to Malay elites who will “protect” “the people” from the perceived cultural or economic threats arising from the non-Muslim “others”.
