Conversely, the wealthiest countries were non-socialist. Authoritarian regimes were the norm among this group for most of the postindependence period. Indonesia began as a democratic regime in the 1950s but it ended by 1957. Authoritarianism was solidified under the New Order regime if President Suharto after 1965. It lasted until 1998. Singapore and Malaysia stabilized as dominant party regimes. They differed from other authoritarian regimes by the continued supremacy of civilians while armed forces played a prominent role under authoritarian regimes in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Thailand’s security forces long allied with factions in the bureaucracy to coup and counter-coups until the 1980s, when a semi-authoritarian regime under the leadership of a former general gradually loosened its grip and finally allowed a civilian-elected government in 1988. The armed forces have continued however to intervene in politics, most recently in a 2006 coup. Only the Philippines remained mostly democratic although its quality was very low. Wealthy families and political clans have competed for control of various levels if the state, while maintaining their overall dominance over the economy and the political system. The armed forces played a central role mainly during the authoritarian period of President Marcos, which was characterized essentially as a one decade or so. Marcos simply went further than other in using the state and the armed forces to advance his friends and family’s personal interests.