1、 Problem posing

The political party system in Malaysia was once known for its stability and was regarded as the 'dominant party system'. In the 14th national election of 2018, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) won a majority of seats in the House of Commons, ending the 61 year rule of the National Front (BN). The emergence of a "floating parliament" in the 15th general election of 2022 marks the development of Malaysia's political party system towards a multi-party system. The political party system includes the relationship structure between political parties and between political parties and the government, which Giovanni Sartori divided into competitive and non competitive systems. As a multi-ethnic country, Malaysia is dominated by ethnic politics, with UMNO, MCA, and ANC parties in the Barisan Nasional based on Malay, Chinese, and Indian voters respectively. The academic community has paid attention to the defeat of Barisan Nasional in the 2018 general election and the development of party politics, but there has been little explanation of the phenomenon of party rotation from the perspective of the party system. This article aims to analyze the evolution and reconstruction of the political party system in Malaysia, and explore the process, motives, current status, and trends of its transition from a dominant party system to a multi-party system.

2、 Analysis framework

The political party restructuring theory proposed by American political scientist Ji includes two types: critical elections and gradual restructuring. The key characteristics of elections are the rapid reconstruction of the voter base, the rise and fall of political party power, and the continued existence of a new political party structure. The gradual restructuring is characterized by the gradual disintegration of traditional political parties and voter alliances, and the impact of new political parties or alliances on the existing pattern. Although based on the experience of the United States, this theory is applicable for analyzing the changes in the political party system in Malaysia. The 2018 general election is a crucial election in Malaysia, which involves the reconstruction of the party's voter base, the adjustment of political power, the end of the dominant party system, and the formation of a new multi-party system. The disintegration of the dominant party system is the result of a gradual restructuring over the past decade. This article examines the changes in the political party system in Malaysia within the framework of the theory of political party restructuring.

3、 Gradual restructuring: The dominant party system gradually disintegrates

The political party system in Malaysia has undergone gradual restructuring, with the dominant party system gradually disintegrating. The alliance between Barisan Nasional and traditional voters is gradually disintegrating, the voter structure is divided, the distribution of interests is adjusted, and new political parties and party alliances are emerging. The predecessor alliance of Barisan Nasional was composed of UMNO, MCA, and the National Congress Party, representing the interests of different ethnic groups and implementing a power sharing system. After 1974, the alliance expanded to the National Front, absorbing opposition parties and shifting divergent issues. UMNO gained support from the Malay public through poverty alleviation programs and government bureaucrats distributing economic benefits. Barisan Nasional retained a two-thirds majority in 13 elections, but began to lose its majority in the 2008 and 2013 elections. There is internal division within the Malay ethnic group, with some rural Malays turning to support the Islamic Party. In the 1999 general election, there was the first opposition coalition to fully confront the Barisan Nasional, forming a "two-line system" pattern. The 2008 general election broke the situation where Barisan Nasional had a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons, known as the 'political tsunami'. The three major opposition parties formed the "People's Alliance" and competed with the Barisan Nasional in parliament. The 2013 general election continued this trend, with the National Front's vote share decreasing and the Democratic Alliance's strength further consolidating. Cross racial voting has become a driving force for new politics, with an increasing number of voters leaning towards political reform.

4、 Key elections: Initial formation of multi-party system

The 2018 general election became a crucial election in Malaysia's political history, marking the transition from a dominant party system to a multi-party system. This election is not only based on gradual restructuring, but also a sudden change under the influence of major events, leading to the disintegration of the old political party structure and the formation of a new political party structure. The voter base of Barisan Nasional has undergone a sharp restructuring due to the "1MDB" scandal, corruption cases, and rising cost of living, leading to internal divisions within UMNO. Former Prime Minister Mahathir and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin formed the Indigenous Unity Party. The implementation of consumption tax and the economic downturn have further weakened the recognition of Barisan Nasional. The election manifesto of the political party alliance has an impact on voters' voting, with the Pakatan Harapan emphasizing reform and the Barisan Nasional focusing on the Islamic line. The election results revealed changes in internal divisions among voters, with Pakatan Harapan winning the right to form a government and achieving political party rotation. The political party system in Malaysia is transforming into a multi-party system, and the political party structure is developing towards multipolarity. After the general election, the political situation continued to be turbulent, with party alliances dividing and reorganizing, frequent government changes, and three prime ministers changing within three years, reflecting the fragmentation of party structures and the instability of coalition politics.

5、 The Reasons for the Transformation of Malaysia's Political Party System

The 2018 general election marked the transition of Malaysia's political party system from a dominant party system to a multi-party system. Scholars analyze the defeat of Barisan Nasional from different perspectives, including representative reliability, opposition forces, elite group breakdown, government issues, and advances in information and communication technology. Existing research focuses more on elite conflicts and neglects the impact of social structure on the transformation of political party systems. The change of social structure is the key to the transformation of political party system, and the change of voter structure affects the election results and the balance of political party power. The relationship between Malaysian political parties and voters is mainly based on ethnicity, but the racial voting model is gradually being broken, and ethnic politics is shifting towards cross ethnic politics. The ethnic attributes, urban-rural distribution, and age of voters become factors that affect the transformation of political party systems. Diversified demands for ethnic interests, economic and corruption issues have become the focus of attention for various ethnic groups. The increase in urbanization rate has led to polarization among Malays, causing Barisan Nasional to lose support from the urban middle class. The proportion of young voters is increasing, and they are more inclined to support the opposition party, with social media influencing the election results.

6、 The Current Situation and Trends of Political Party Structure: Observations Based on the 2022 General Election

Since the political party system transformation in 2018, Malaysia has experienced political turmoil. In the 2022 general election, a "floating parliament" appeared for the first time, and the fragmentation of the political party structure has intensified, making it difficult to form a one party majority cabinet and provide opportunities for a coalition government. The role of the Supreme Leader as a political mediator has been strengthened, promoting the establishment of a new cabinet, but the abnormal appointment process is inconsistent with the principle of "parliamentary sovereignty". The Islamic Party has become the largest party in parliament, increasing political uncertainty and highlighting the confrontational nature brought about by religious differences. After the 2018 general election, Malaysia's political party system gradually disintegrated, and a multi-party system was initially formed, with frequent government changes and political instability. After the 2022 general election, Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional formed a coalition government, ushering in a new political and economic landscape. The shift from ethnic politics to cross ethnic politics has made economic and corruption issues key factors affecting national stability. The political landscape of Malaysia is still undergoing changes, and its future direction remains to be observed.