Politics and Governance in an Urban New Village: The Case of Serdang, Selangor

Abstract

This article illustrates broader governance issues in an urban “New Villages” in Malaysia by examining the political, governance, and developmental challenges of Serdang New Village. The study situates Serdang within its contemporary urban context and turns to its historical political evolution—tracing party preferences, voting patterns, and political alignments—as a means to understand current governance conditions. It then investigates the governance structures within the Greater Serdang region, identifying key institutional, administrative, and developmental challenges specific to the New Village, including fragmented authority and weak public participation mechanisms. The article argues for targeted reforms such as village committee revitalisation and the adoption of a bidirectional governance model that bridges top-down government control with bottom-up community engagement, rather than a restoration of local elections. The study intends to draw insights into the complexities of governing urban New Villages within Malaysia’s centralised political system and outlines pathways for more responsive and inclusive local governance.