Malaysian general election, 1969
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Malaysia on 10 May 1969, although voting was postponed until between 21 and 27 June in Sabah
and Sarawak
. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malayan Chinese Association, and the Malayan Indian Congress. The Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
(Gerakan) and the Democratic Action Party
(DAP), which had campaigned against Bumiputra
privileges outlined by Article 153
of the Constitution
, made major gains in the election. Voter turnout was 73.6%.
The opposition parties’ gain at state level was more shocking to the Alliance Party which not only continued to lose to PAS in Kelantan, but also to political infant Gerakan in Penang. No party commanded an absolute majority in two other states. The Alliance held only 14 out of 24 seats in Selangor and 19 out of 40 in Perak.
Very interestingly, the attrition of Malay support was much higher than that of the non-Malays. Malay opposition parties’ vote shares in the peninsula increased drastically from about 15% in 1964 to 25% in 1969 while the support for non-Malay opposition parties remained roughly the same at 26% in both elections. Thanks to the electoral system, however, PAS seats increased from nine to 12 seats only while the non-Malay opposition parties from eight to 25.
on 12 May, but the rally turned rowdy, with party members shouting racial epithet
s at Malay bystanders. UMNO retaliated with its own rally on 13 May, which soon broke out into full-scale rioting, which subsequently became known as the May 13 Incident
.
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malayan Chinese Association, and the Malayan Indian Congress. The Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
The Malaysian People's Movement Party is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and , it is part of the ruling National Front coalition....
(Gerakan) and the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
(DAP), which had campaigned against Bumiputra
Bumiputra
Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...
privileges outlined by Article 153
Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia
Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong responsibility for “safeguard[ing] the special position of the ‘Malays’ and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities” and goes on to specify ways to do this, such...
of the Constitution
Constitution of Malaysia
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957, is the supreme law of Malaysia. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation...
, made major gains in the election. Voter turnout was 73.6%.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Party | 1,063,238 | 44.8 | 77 | |
| Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party | 495,641 | 20.9 | 12 | |
| Democratic Action Party Democratic Action Party The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties... , previously People's Action Party People's Action Party The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959.... |
|286,606 | 12.1 | 13 | |
| Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia The Malaysian People's Movement Party is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and , it is part of the ruling National Front coalition.... |
178,971 | 7.5 | 8 | New |
| People's Progressive Party People's Progressive Party (Malaysia) The People's Progressive Party is a political party in Malaysia.The party is one of the constituent members of the ruling National Front and is a multiracial party.-History:... |
80,756 | 3.4 | 1 | |
| Sarawak United People's Party Sarawak United People's Party The Sarawak United Peoples' Party, or SUPP is a political party in Malaysia. The party is one of the constituent members of the ruling Barisan Nasional... |
71,293 | 3.0 | 5 | New |
| Sarawak National Party Sarawak National Party Sarawak National Party known by its acronym as "SNAP", is a political party in Malaysia. It was a member party of Barisan Nasional since Sarawak joined Malaysia until 2004 when it was expelled from Barisan Nasional... |
64,593 | 2.7 | 9 | New |
| United Sabah National Organisation | 31,947 | 1.3 | 13 | New |
| Parti Pesaka Sarawak | 30,765 | 1.3 | 2 | New |
| Parti Rakyat | 25,785 | 1.1 | 0 | New |
| United Malaysian Chinese Organisation | 1,808 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 41,710 | 1.8 | 1 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 134,230 | |||
| Total | 2,532,042 | 100 | 140 | +40 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||
The opposition parties’ gain at state level was more shocking to the Alliance Party which not only continued to lose to PAS in Kelantan, but also to political infant Gerakan in Penang. No party commanded an absolute majority in two other states. The Alliance held only 14 out of 24 seats in Selangor and 19 out of 40 in Perak.
Very interestingly, the attrition of Malay support was much higher than that of the non-Malays. Malay opposition parties’ vote shares in the peninsula increased drastically from about 15% in 1964 to 25% in 1969 while the support for non-Malay opposition parties remained roughly the same at 26% in both elections. Thanks to the electoral system, however, PAS seats increased from nine to 12 seats only while the non-Malay opposition parties from eight to 25.
Reaction
Gerakan and DAP held a victory rally in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
on 12 May, but the rally turned rowdy, with party members shouting racial epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
s at Malay bystanders. UMNO retaliated with its own rally on 13 May, which soon broke out into full-scale rioting, which subsequently became known as the May 13 Incident
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
.