Soft Authoritarianism in Malaysia and Singapore

Issue Date October 1996
Volume 7
Issue 4
Page Numbers 103-17
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Read the full essay here.

About the Author

Gordon P. Means is professor emeritus of political science at McMaster University in Canada and the author of Malaysian Politics: The Second Generation (1991). The present essay is a revised version of a paper presented in Washington, D.C., at a March 1996 conference on “Democracy in East Asia” sponsored by the International Forum for Democratic Studies and the Japan Institute of International Affairs.

View all work by Gordon P. Means

Further Reading

Volume 22, Issue 4

Singapore: Authoritarian but Newly Competitive

Singapore has long been known for combining economic development with strict limits on political opposition. But its 2011 parliamentary elections suggest that it is moving toward “competitive authoritarianism.”

Volume 23, Issue 1

China and East Asian Democracy: The Coming Wave

If there is going to be a great advance of democracy in this decade, it is most likely going to emanate from East Asia.

Volume 23, Issue 2

Southeast Asia: Strong-State Democratization in Malaysia and Singapore

The strong state in Malaysia and Singapore best explains why their authoritarian regimes have proved so stable and enduring. That is also the reason why democratization would go smoothly in…