A systematic literature review of Malaysia’s coalition politics, 2021–2025

Abstract

Introduction: Coalition politics remains central in Malaysia but has become less stable since 2018. This review asks how coalitions shape governance and stability, what drives formation and collapse, what roles institutions play and how ethnicity, Islamisation and demographic change influence outcomes. Methods: A systematic review using PRISMA was conducted. Searches in Scopus and Web of Science covered 2021 to 2025 and were complemented by citation tracking. Inclusion required peer-reviewed studies on Malaysia’s coalition politics. Fourteen articles met the criteria. Descriptive mapping and thematic synthesis were applied. Results: Six themes were identified. Malaysia’s party system has shifted from dominant-party rule under permanent pre-electoral coalitions, distinct from Lijphart’s grand coalition model, to fragmented competition with frequent hung outcomes. Ethnicity remains the strongest predictor of voting behaviour, while regionalism increases the bargaining influence of East Malaysian parties. Islamisation has gained renewed salience, with PAS and PN benefiting from digital campaigning. The federal monarchy now plays a regular mediating role during post-electoral deadlock. Opposition coordination and alliance design affect vote conversion and post-election durability. Governing capacity is constrained by coalition heterogeneity, fiscal limits and sociocultural contention. Coverage is thinner on federal arrangements, electoral rule effects, youth cohorts under Undi18 and automatic voter registration and micro-level coalition management. Discussion and conclusion: Malaysia’s political order appears post-permanent-coalition rather than consociational. Coalitions are necessary yet fragile, increasingly formed and sustained through post-electoral bargaining and institutional mediation. Future research should test the effects of pre-electoral pacts and seat-sharing, measure the monarch’s influence using transparent timelines and public statements, build state-level panels on transfers and concessions, quantify Islamisation and digital campaign effects and identify Undi18 cohort impacts using panel data.