Election won’t solve Malaysia’s institutional problems

There is growing speculation that Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, will take advantage of the recent strength of the economy by calling an early general election. The weak state of the opposition means another victory for the ruling UMNO party is all but assured. Political stability might be seen as a good thing in the short term. But if Malaysia is to achieve its full potential, its institutions need a good cleaning up and shaking out, which is unlikely to happen under UMNO.