History of Malaysian Politics

One of the early kingdoms in Malaysia that is quite well known to most of us was the Malacca Sultanate. Originating in the 1400s, the Malacca Sultanate was established by a Srivijayan prince called Parameswara. I won’t go too deep into the history of the Sultanate but merely to highlight that its government is perhaps the earliest form of politics in Malaysia.

The Sultan is the head of the city-state called Malacca, and he is advised and assisted by the Bendahara, his second in command. There is the Laksamana who is in charge of the military and the Syahbandar who administers and looks after the safety of the city-state. There are also district chiefs called Mandulika that governs over smaller districts. I apologize if I get any of this wrong, but I’m sure that is the gist of it.

So basically there is a hierarchy with the Sultan on top and the common people below. Most Malay Sultanates have the same model, the Sultan at the top, the nobles in between and the people at the bottom. And as with all monarchies, the Sultan has the final say in everything.

In comparison with our government today, the Sultanate of the past has a smaller population to deal with and simpler needs to fulfil. Crime was not rampant, food was not in shortage, land was plentiful, no issues of highways and gas prices to think of. So the system was basically a success, as evident in certain historical writings where Malacca had influence as far as the western world. Malacca was an important trading port in the east and it was in between the shipping routes between Europe and China.

As its prominence grew, Malacca drew attention from the Europeans, and in particular, the Portuguese. And thus began their conquest for Malacca. Through war and subterfuge the Portuguese were successful in conquering Malacca in 1511. Most historians contribute the reason of the fall of the Malaccan Sultanate to the political in-fighting and treachery in the royal palace. At the time of the fall of Malacca, the Sultan was said to be a weak ruler, and certain noble families were fighting with each other for power and position. This gave the opportunity to the Portuguese to sow seeds of distrust which finally led to the capture of the port-city.

Hence began over 450 years of foreign rule on Malaysian soil. The Malay Sultanates although still allowed to exist will never again enjoy the same role and prominence it once had.

In fact, throughout history, we can conclude that foreigners like the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English constantly take advantage of the weaknesses in the Malay Sultanates’ governments; a lesson that not many seem to have learned.

To be continued...

Politics (definition)

pol·i·tics (pŏl'ĭ-tĭks)

n.
1. (used with a sing. verb)
a. The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.
b. Political science.
2. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
a. The activities or affairs engaged in by a government, politician, or political party: “All politics is local” (Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.). “Politics have appealed to me since I was at Oxford because they are exciting morning, noon, and night” (Jeffrey Archer).
b. The methods or tactics involved in managing a state or government: The politics of the former regime were rejected by the new government leadership. If the politics of the conservative government now borders on the repressive, what can be expected when the economy falters?
3. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Political life: studied law with a view to going into politics; felt that politics was a worthwhile career.
4. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power: Partisan politics is often an obstruction to good government. Office politics are often debilitating and counterproductive.
5. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Political attitudes and positions: His politics on that issue is his own business. Your politics are clearly more liberal than mine.
6. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The often internally conflicting interrelationships among people in a society.

Definition taken from Answers.com

Greetings dear readers,

I'm starting out this blog to write about my own views of political and other current events and issues which I think give our beloved country Malaysia, its distinct flavour, the joie de vivre you might say that makes Malaysia, Malaysia.

A definition of politics is a good start for a political blog, at least in my opinion. One hears the word so many times, that we sometimes lose sight of what it really means. I highlighted the 1st paragraph in the definition quoted above i.e. the art or science of governing and administering a nation is idealistically what politics should be about: the art of administering a nation with the nation's interest at heart.

However more often than not we get the latter passage that I highlighted. Most of the times you read in the news, its just certain individuals or groups of individuals trying to further their own cause with and who knows whats in their hearts.

So to start the ball rolling, the next post will be about the background and history of Malaysian politics.