March to Democracy: Malaysia's Fourteenth General Election

Malaysia's fourteenth general election marked the first transfer of parliamentary power in the country's 60-year history, with the Pakatan Harapan coalition winning a majority of the Parliament seats in the popular vote. This article examines the factors that led to the election outcome, notably the changes in the rural vote and the previous government's inability to live up to the rising economic expectations of urban, middle-class residents. This victory shifted Malaysia's politics from electoral authoritarian regime to a legitimate democracy.