Political legitimacy in Malaysia: Historical roots and contemporary deficits

Major theories of single-party dominance underestimate the causality with which citizens, in their discontents, and electoral contests, in heightening these grievances, can advance democratic change. In their factor sequencing, these theories prioritize economic crisis, the party's loss of patronage resources, elite-level defections, and correspondingly invigorated opposition parties. But this fails to account for recent events in Malaysia wherein the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), long dominating politics, was recently dealt so striking an electoral setback that a democratic transition appeared to have begun. This article demonstrates, then, that change, especially in the wake of the government's pledges to reform, was initiated by citizens, alienated over precisely the patronage resources by which UMNO had perpetuated its dominance. They were animated also by the manipulations of elections, further encouraging them to vote with new determination. Throughout, this article shows that in gauging the motivations of citizens to initiate change, their perceptions of the government's legitimacy, involving institutional conformity, and policy performance offer a useful analytical tool.