Bridget Welsh is an honorary research associate at the Asia Research Institute of the University of Nottingham Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, as well as a senior research associate at the Hu Fu Center for East Asia Democratic Studies at National Taiwan University. She has authored or edited numerous books on politics in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, including most recently The End of UMNO? Essays on Malaysia’s Former Dominant Party (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2018).
Deepening divisions, frequently fueled by majoritarian political agendas, are driving democratic regression in key countries throughout South and Southeast Asia regions.
From long-established democracies like India to newer ones like Indonesia, deep-seated sociopolitical divisions have become increasingly inflamed in recent years, fueling democratic erosion and societal discord.