ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part explores Malaysia by geographic and administrative level, rather than social cleavages per se and explains Malaysia's federal structure. It delves deeper among administrative strata, to the local government level. The part discusses some of the critiques, and considers a broader view of Malaysia's public administration. It offers the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, Hindu Rights Action Force, and Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia as examples of an increasingly active, politically engaged civil society. The part describes the entanglement of Islamism with ethnicity, on the one hand, and electoral pressures, on the other. It suggests that a combination of social structure as well as institutional legacies and advantages conspires to sustain the incumbent Barisan Nasional and stymie alternatives. The part also suggests that the effective number of parties/coalitions is taking into account initiatives for opposition coordination since 1990.
