ASEAN Beat

The ‘Foreign Interference’ Blame Game in Malaysia’s Upcoming Election

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ASEAN Beat

The ‘Foreign Interference’ Blame Game in Malaysia’s Upcoming Election

Accusations are being leveled by both sides as the campaign rhetoric heats up.

The ‘Foreign Interference’ Blame Game in Malaysia’s Upcoming Election

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak, left and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid, stand for the national anthem along with other party leaders from National Front coalition during a launching of “The Rakyat” (The People) web portal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018. Malaysia must hold 14th general elections by August 2018.

Credit: AP Photo/Vincent Thian

Few expect Malaysia’s ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional parties, which have effectively governed since the country’s independence, to lose the country’s upcoming elections. But though the outcome of polls, which must be held by August but are expected sooner, might be quite predictable, thereby rendering the event a relatively dull affair, there has been some predictable hype around the notion of “foreign interference”.

Both the ruling party and the opposition in Malaysia have at various points used “foreign interference” to boost their own position at the expense of their opponent, to distract from substantive challenges that they have, and to sow confusion around clear concerns that are being posed. But things have unsurprisingly heated up as we move closer to polls.

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