Informal Politics

In recognizing how political processes do not unfold through formal institutions alone, this chapter explores the effects of extra-institutional activities and informal discussions on electoral outcomes. Drawing from Sibu’s electoral context, from the 1990s to the early 2000s, it provides a typology of informal politics during election campaigns (namely different forms of money politics and gangsterism), which have partly enabled the Sarawak United People’s Party to maintain local political dominance despite deteriorating material conditions. Such extra-institutional political practices are usually conducted outside of legal frameworks, yet remain openly practiced within local politicians’ constituencies. They persist, although there are sometimes adverse impacts, including voter backlash and aggressive reactions from rival candidates, which have sometimes jeopardized politicians’ chances of claiming electoral successes. Consequently, grassroots-level actors have developed counter-approaches to resisting domination, particularly through the deployment of gossip and rumor, whether in person or through digital means. Ultimately, this analysis suggests that neither state institutions nor pro-establishment elites have been able to totally restrict local resistance to their rule, where locals continually find room to resist their authority.