April 1, 2014
Misplaced Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People is the fruit of a three-year collaboration between academics who have chosen Malaysia as their specialty. Defined by its inter-disciplinarity and covering the fields of urban studies, political economy, international relations, political sociology and anthropology, film studies, literature, law and strategic studies, Misplaced Democracy is a path-breaking analysis of Malaysian politics and society during a period of contestation in which many Malaysians seek to re-orient the flow of history which has been going in favour of the ruling party since the country’s independence. What is at stake here is the nature of Malaysian democracy itself. Covering topics as diverse as Syariah family law, Muslim student activism, connivance militancy, maritime piracy and ownership of Malaysia’s corporate sector, Misplaced Democracy seeks to untangle the complexities of contemporary Malaysian politics and society and, through original and unique analyses, tries to unveil the many realities of an emerging democracy embedded in authoritarian practices and rules, describe its ambiguities and its strengths, and contribute to the reinvention of Malaysia.
Get a free PDF copy of Misplaced Democracy here.