This article argues that the rise of the influence of the Opposition during the 1990s was primarily due to outcome of key policies implemented by former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, on the economy and Malaysian society. One key reason why Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi managed to lead the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN, or National Front) coalition to a phenomenal victory in the 11th general elections in 2004 was his pledge to introduce economic reforms to respond to the needs of the poor, especially rural Malays, and to rectify social ills, particularly rampant corruption, that had emerged during the Mahathir era.