Delivering Malaysia’s Reformasi : From kleptocracy to democracy

All good: Dr Mahathir is hailed by many as the hero of New Malaysia but the writer believes that it is also imperative for youths to play a role in Malaysia’s democratic growth. — AP

But the messy process must never be assigned to any one particular ‘extraordinary’ person. It needs to be undertaken by each ‘ordinary’ citizen, especially the young. 

WHEN the 1998 political reformation movement, better known as reformasi, arrived in Malaysia in September after erupting in neighbouring Indonesia several months earlier, I was in the midst of starting primary school, and had absolutely no awareness of the domestic or foreign political developments that were taking place.