History and Context of Public Administration in Malaysia

Abstract

This chapter provides the history and context of public administration in Malaysia. The Federation of Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or king of Malaysia. The civil service in Malaysia is further divided into the federal and state civil service. To understand the formation of the Malaysian civil service requires an understanding of the period just prior to independence and the demography of the country. The Malayan Union was a confederation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements, which was placed as a crown colony under direct British rule from London. The Malayan Communist Party, led by ethnic Chinese, launched an armed insurrection against the British in 1948, claiming that they were fighting for independence and the end of colonial rule. The dominance of the Malays in the civil service was a reflection of the new political reality in the wider political arena.