Malayan general election, 1959
Malayan general election, 1959
|
|
|
All 104 seats to the Dewan Rakyat 53 seats needed for a majority |
Registered |
2,177,650 |
Turnout |
1,564,575 (73.3%) |
|
First party |
Second party |
Third party |
|
|
|
SF |
Leader |
Tunku Abdul Rahman |
Burhanuddin al-Helmy |
Ahmad Boestaman |
Party |
Alliance |
PMIP |
Socialist Front |
Leader since |
23 August 1951 (1951-08-23) |
1956 (1956) |
26 August 1958 |
Leader's seat |
Kuala Kedah |
Besut |
Setapak |
Last election |
51 seats, 81.7% |
1 seat, 4.1% |
New Party |
Seats won |
74 |
13 |
8 |
Seat change |
23 |
12 |
|
Popular vote |
800,944 |
329,070 |
199,688 |
Percentage |
51.8% |
21.3% |
12.9% |
Swing |
29.9% |
17.2% |
|
|
|
Fourth party |
Fifth party |
Sixth party |
|
PPP |
|
MP |
Leader |
D. R. Seenivasagam |
Onn Jaafar |
Tan Kee Gak |
Party |
People's Progressive Party |
National Party |
Malayan Party |
Leader since |
10 April 1953 |
10 May 1946 |
1956 |
Leader's seat |
Ipoh |
Kuala Trengganu Selatan |
Bandar Malacca |
Last election |
No seats, 0.1% |
No seats, 7.9% |
New Party |
Seats won |
4 |
1 |
1 |
Seat change |
4 |
1 |
|
Popular vote |
97,391 |
32,578 |
13,404 |
Percentage |
6.3% |
2.1% |
0.9% |
Swing |
6.2% |
5.8% |
|
|
|
A general election was held on Wednesday, 19 August 1959 for members of the first Parliament of the Federation of Malaya,[1] the first parliamentary election in Malaya. It was the third national-wide election held in Malaya since the end of World War II. Malaya later formed Malaysia with three other states in 1963. Voter turnout was 73.3%.
In the election, the Alliance Party - later Barisan Nasional - emerged as the victor. The party was a coalition formed by United Malays National Organisation, Malayan Chinese Association and Malayan Indian Congress. The coalition won 74 out of 104 seats in the Dewan Rakyat with only 51.8% of total votes. The opposition as a whole garnered 30 seats with 48.3% of total votes.
The 71.1% majority allowed Alliance Party to form a government as sanctioned by the Constitution of Malaya.
When results were announced on the morning of 20 August, only 103 seats were returned as elections in the Kedah Tengah (English: Central Kedah) constituency was delayed until 30 September.[2] The Alliance proceeded to win this seat with Khir Johari as the winning candidate.
Prior to the parliamentary election, state elections took place in 282 state legislature seats in 11 states of Malaya from 20 May to 24 June 1959.
Timelines
Dewan Rakyat
- Nomination Date : 15 July 1959
- Election day : 19 August 1959
State legislative assemblies
State | Nomination Date | State election |
Perlis | 15 April 1959 | 20 May 1959 |
Kedah | 15 April 1959 | 20 May 1959 |
Malacca | 18 April 1959 | 23 May 1959 |
Perak | 22 April 1959 | 27 May 1959 |
Selangor | 25 April 1959 | 30 May 1959 |
Negeri Sembilan | 28 April 1959 | 2 June 1959 |
Penang | 2 May 1959 | 6 June 1959 |
Johor | 6 May 1959 | 10 June 1959 |
Pahang | 13 May 1959 | 27 June 1959 |
Terengganu | 16 May 1959 | 20 June 1959 |
Kelantan | 20 May 1959 | 24 June 1959 |
Results
Parliamentary results
Political Party |
Votes |
% of vote |
Seats |
% of seats |
+/– |
|
Alliance Party | Alliance | 800,944 | 51.8 | 74 | 71.1 | +23 |
|
United Malays National Organisation | UMNO | 553,160 | 35.8 | 52 | 50.0 | +18 |
|
Malayan Chinese Association | MCA | 232,073 | 15.0 | 19 | 18.3 | +4 |
|
Malayan Indian Congress | MIC | 15,711 | 1.0 | 3 | 2.9 | +1 |
|
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party | PMIP | 329,070 | 21.3 | 13 | 12.5 | +12 |
|
Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front | SF | 199,688 | 12.9 | 8 | 7.7 | New |
|
Labour Party of Malaya | Lab | | | 6 | 5.8 | +6 |
|
Parti Ra'ayat | Ra'ayat | | | 2 | 1.9 | New |
|
People's Progressive Party | PPP | 97,391 | 6.3 | 4 | 3.8 | +4 |
|
National Party | Negara | 32,578 | 2.1 | 1 | 1.0 | +1 |
|
Malayan Party | MP | 13,404 | 0.9 | 1 | 1.0 | New |
|
Independents | IND | 74,194 | 4.8 | 3 | 2.9 | +3 |
Valid votes | 1,547,269 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 17,306 |
Total (turnout: 73.3%) | 1,564,575 | 100.0 | 104 | 100.0 | +52 |
Did not vote | 613,075 | |
Registered voters | 2,177,650 |
Source: Nohlen et al.
- Three Alliance candidates were returned unopposed.
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References
External links