Malaysia and Governance: A Historical Perspective

By Julian Teh

When one thinks of the term “good governance” one usually associates it with political stability, fairness and of course strong economic growth. Lately, we have been seeing a lack of good governance within our country.

One only has to look at the local headlines in the newspapers to see several examples. What has led us to such a precarious position of political instability and a distinct sense of foreboding for the future? This article seeks to examine a historical context of governance in Malaysia through a comparison of the past and the present. By this, we may be able to identify the malady that affects Malaysian governance and try to prescribe a remedy to it.

One lesson that we can take from our own local history on good governance was that of the Malaccan Sultanate. It had a strong and effective administrative hierarchy and a set of written laws which could be equated to a form of Constitution that we see common in most governments today. These factors, coupled along with its strategic geographical location helped the Malaccan Sultanate thrive and prosper to become the illuminating example of good governance.