The Legal Framework of Centre-Local Connections in Malaysia. Beyond the Postcolonial Narrative: Legacy or Reinvention?

The Malaysian experience of decentralisation is one of the Asian cases of shift from a strong ‘centripetal’ political system towards power-sharing amongst concentric tiers of government. In this regard, the constitutional framework is still dealing with such changes, and it may be a facilitator or an obstacle for further measures aiming at the implementation of effective local governance. Moving from the previous assumptions, in order of highlighting the question of whether the colonial legacy has to be considered a form of ‘traditional paradigm’, the chapter provides a brief outline of modern Malaysia and its political system, a focus on the constitutional provisions related to the local-centre relations/connections, and an analysis of the Local Government Act of 1976.