The CSIS Southeast Asia Program is pleased to present "Malaysia’s Electoral Surprise, One Year On: Democratic Momentum or Mahathir Redux?", a panel discussion featuring Dr. Meredith L. Weiss (Professor and Chair of Political Science, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany, SUNY), Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran (Senior Editor, The Diplomat), and Ambassador Derek Mitchell (President, National Democratic Institute). These leading experts will review developments since Malaysia’s May 9, 2018 general elections, including how Malaysian politics, civil society, and foreign policy have changed in the year since, and what to look for going forward.
Dr. Meredith L. Weiss is Professor and Chair of Political Science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Dr. Weiss has published widely on political mobilization and contention, the politics of identity and development, and elections in Southeast Asia. Her books include Student Activism in Malaysia: Crucible, Mirror, Sideshow (Cornell SEAP, 2011), Protest and Possibilities: Civil Society and Coalitions for Political Change in Malaysia (Stanford, 2006), a forthcoming book on the resilience of electoral-authoritarian praxis in Malaysia and Singapore (Cornell, 2020), and a number of edited volumes. Her articles appear in Asian Survey, Critical Asian Studies, Democratization, Journal of Contemporary Asia, and other journals.
Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is Senior Editor at
The Diplomat based in Washington, D.C., where he produces analysis on Southeast Asian political and security issues, Asian defense affairs, and U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific. Previously, he worked on Asian affairs at several think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He holds a PhD and an MA in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a BA in foreign affairs and peace and conflict studies from the University of Virginia. Dr. Parameswaran’s analysis on politics and security issues in the Asia-Pacific has been widely featured and cited in several leading regional and international publications, including
The Financial Times,
Foreign Policy,
The Straits Times, and
The South China Morning Post. He has also authored policy reports, journal articles, and book chapters on Asian security trends, participated frequently in key regional forums and dialogues, and consulted for governments and companies.
Ambassador Derek Mitchell has served as president of the National Democratic Institute since September 2018. From 2012-2016, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma). He was America’s first ambassador to the country in 22 years. From 2011-12, he served as the U.S. Department of State’s first Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma, with the rank of ambassador. Most recently, Ambassador Mitchell has been a senior advisor at the Albright Stonebridge Group, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as well as a lecturer for the Stanford-in-Washington program.
This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.