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The Dynamics of Social Capital and Recent Political Development in Malaysia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2014

SYEDA NAUSHIN PARNINI ,
MOHAMMAD REDZUAN OTHMAN  and
AMER SAIFUDE
SYEDA NAUSHIN PARNINI
Affiliation:
UMCEDEL (Centre for Democracy and Election), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala [email protected]
MOHAMMAD REDZUAN OTHMAN
Affiliation:
[email protected]
AMER SAIFUDE
Affiliation:
[email protected]
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Abstract

The political landscape in Malaysia has been changing since the late 1990s with a gradual rise in resistance from civil society and the opposition parties. Domestic politics have become more contentious recently, particularly evidenced by the advent of a strong civil society and a multi-cultural opposition coalition. Thus, the social capital stimulated by ICTs and CSOs has played a vital role in strengthening and empowering the role of the opposition parties in Malaysia. This study seeks to understand how ICT-driven social capital has facilitated the surge in the opposition movement by situating the political use of social capital in a broader socio-political context. Hence the dramatic political change has been intertwined with the dynamics of social capital and creation of a public sphere accelerated by the rapid growth of ICTs in the country. By analyzing recent voting patterns, this study demonstrates that ICT-driven social capital does have a great impact on the changing political landscape in Malaysia, particularly in shaping voting behavior and political participation of Malay and non-Malay citizens in domestic politics.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , September 2014 , pp. 443 - 464
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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