Meredith L. Weiss

Jul 8, 2024 | iseas.edu.sg | Meredith L. Weiss

When Anwar Ibrahim formed the Malaysian government in November 2022, it was without the same high popular expectations as in 2018. His ‘Unity Government’ still has yet to articulate a comprehensive, agreed-upon platform or clear priorities, let alone achieve substantial reforms. In fact, the manifestos of the lead coalitions in the Unity Government overlap substantially, making a shared agenda for institutional reform feasible.

Jul 5, 2024 | fulcrum.sg | Meredith L. Weiss

Fulcrum editor Lee Hwok Aun and ISEAS Malaysia Studies Programme Coordinator Francis Hutchinson discuss Malaysia’s long reform journey and the hits and misses of Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, with Meredith Weiss, ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow and Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Jul 5, 2024 | fulcrum.sg | Meredith L. Weiss

Galvanised by Israel’s ongoing bombing of Gaza following Hamas’s October 2023 attack, Malaysian Muslims have boycotted Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and other franchises with enough fervour to oblige some outlets to close. Protesters fault their parent companies for US support for Israel, although local owners and staff are overwhelmingly Malaysian and bereft of US foreign-policy clout. But American responses to the hostilities are themselves unusually divided.

Apr 2, 2024 | cambridge.org | Edward Aspinall |Meredith L. Weiss |Allen Hicken |Paul Hutchcroft

Politicians in Southeast Asia, as in many other regions, win elections by distributing cash, goods, jobs, projects, and other benefits to supporters, but the ways in which they do this vary tremendously, both across and within countries. Mobilizing for Elections presents a new framework for analyzing variation in patronage democracies, focusing on distinct forms of patronage and different networks through which it is distributed.

Dec 8, 2023 | eastasiaforum.org | Meredith L. Weiss |SUNY Albany |Allison Alexy |Yiping Huang

Authors: Ibrahim Suffian, Merdeka Center for Opinion Research and Meredith Weiss, SUNY AlbanyConcerns ranging from a falling Malaysian ringgit and pervasive anxiety over inflation to disquiet over a Palestinian solidarity program in schools hover over public space as Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim marks his first anniversary as prime minister. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition approached the November 2022 general election with a simple promise to get back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic.