Malaysia

After more than 60 years in power, the ruling UMNO-led coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence was defeated in May 2018 by the Pakatan Harapan alliance, led by former Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir, who established a new party and joined longtime political foes to oust his former protégé Najib Razak. Having run on an election manifesto promising to abolish oppressive laws and make Malaysia’s human rights record “respected by the world,” expectations for the new government are high. With a range of rights-restricting laws on the books, a police force with a history of abuse and impunity, and government institutions weakened by the efforts of the prior administration to maintain political control and suppress discussion of government corruption, the new government faces steep challenges to meeting its human rights pledges.

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