Kelas Menengah dalam Politik Malaysia: Tonjolan Perkauman atau Kepentingan Kelas?

Abstract

This paper begins with the argument that the middle class in Malaysia has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in national politics in the 1980s. Several case studies show that it has been a major factor behind what may be termed a "bourgeois revolt" in defence of democratic values, which have been increasingly eroded by the state. Survey research findings also show that, while as a class it does not escape the taint of communalism, middle class elements nonetheless demonstrate a high level of political efficacy and a strong affective orientation toward democracy. The paper argues that the middle class in Malaysia will continue to play its role in attempting to expand its terrain of control and activity within civil society despite various setbacks effected by an authoritarian state.