Abstract
In the past two decades, Indonesia and Malaysia have undergone significant political change that promised, and paved the way for, democratic reform. How- ever, this process has been challenged and stunted by a series of events that have instead sought to undermine constitutional democracy. This article is provoked by recent events in the two countries, and it aims to shed light on two main questions: (1) What are the forms of challenges against constitutional democracy that have emerged in Malaysia and Indonesia? (2) How did different constitutional institutions, political actors, and citizens respond to those challenges? It highlights several issues, including the repression of anti-government voices in the lead up to the 2019 Indonesian presidential elections, and the role of the monarchy in Malaysia’s democratic governance. By analysing the two questions, the article aims to shed light on whether there is a risk or pattern of constitutional decline or, conversely,whether constitutional democracy is sustained (or even reinvigorated) through the ability to withstand such challenges. The analysis will also consider how changing political imperatives and dynamics shape the operation, evolution, and survival of constitutional democracy in Malaysia and Indonesia.
