1955 Malayan general election

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1955 Malayan general election
Flag of Malaya.svg
27 July 1955 1959  

52 of the 98 seats in the Federal Legislative Council
27 seats needed for a majority
Registered1,240,058
Turnout82.84%
 First partySecond party
  Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1947 (cropped 4to3 format, closeup).jpg Abbas Alias.jpeg
Leader Tunku Abdul Rahman Abbas Alias
Party UMNO PMIP
Alliance Alliance
Seats won511
Popular vote818,01340,667
Percentage81.68%4.06%

Malaya election results map 1955.png
Map of winners by constituancy

Elected Chief Minister

Tunku Abdul Rahman
Alliance

General elections were held in the Federation of Malaya on Wednesday, 27 July 1955, the only general election before independence in 1957. They were held to elect members of the Federal Legislative Council, whose members had previously been fully appointed by the British High Commissioner. Voting took place in all 52 federal constituencies, each electing one member. State elections also took place in all 136 state constituencies in nine states of Malaya and two settlements from 10 October 1954 to 12 November 1955, each electing one councillor to the State Council or Settlement Council.

Contents

The Pan-Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) was formed primarily to contest in the 1955 elections. Previously the PMIP had been known as the "Pan-Malayan Islamic Association", as a part of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). PMIP won support by proclaiming its aim of making Islam the base of the Malay society in the north of Malay Peninsula, which was facing the lowest economic growth in Malaya.

The elections resulted in a decisive win for the Alliance Party, an alliance of the UMNO, the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and Malayan Indian Congress (MIC), and a resounding defeat for Parti Negara, led by former UMNO president Onn Jaafar. Onn himself failed to win a seat, while the Alliance proceeded to form the new government, with its leader Tunku Abdul Rahman becoming Chief Minister. [1]

Thirty Alliance candidates had majorities of over 10,000 votes. Nine of them had majorities of over 20,000. Forty-three of their opponents lost their deposits.

Timelines

Federal Legislative Council

State Council

StateNomination DateState election
Flag of Johor.svg  Johor 1 September 195410 October 1954
Flag of Terengganu.svg  Terengganu 29 October 1954
Flag of Selangor.svg  Selangor 11 August 195527 September 1955
Flag of Kedah.svg  Kedah 14 August 1955nil
Flag of Kelantan.svg  Kelantan 15 August 195519 September 1955
Flag of Perlis.svg  Perlis 17 August 195524 September 1955
Flag of Pahang.svg  Pahang 25 August 195526 September 1955
Flag of Negeri Sembilan.svg  Negeri Sembilan 8 September 195512 October 1955
Flag of Perak.svg  Perak 1 October 195512 November 1955

Settlement Council

SettlementNomination DateState election
Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg  Penang 13 January 195519 February 1955
Flag of Malacca.svg  Malacca 4 August 1955nil

Results

The Alliance Party won around 80% of the total vote and 51 out of 52 seats contested. PMIP won their only seat in Krian, Perak. Its sole winning candidate, Haji Ahmad Tuan Hussein, an Islamic scholar, was subsequently nicknamed "Mr. Opposition". Voter turnout was 82.8%.

Party or allianceVotes%Seats
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 589,93358.9034
Malayan Chinese Association 201,21220.0915
Malayan Indian Congress 26,8682.682
Total818,01381.6851
Parti Negara 78,9097.880
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 40,6674.061
National Association of Perak20,9962.100
Perak Malay League5,4330.540
Labour Party of Malaya 4,7860.480
Perak Progressive Party 1,0810.110
Independents31,6423.160
Total1,001,527100.0052
Valid votes1,001,52797.50
Invalid/blank votes25,6842.50
Total votes1,027,211100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,240,05882.84
Source: The Malayan Elections, Francis G. Carnell. [2]

Results by state

Johore

PartyVotes%Seats
Malayan Chinese Association 52,26136.983
United Malays National Organisation 50,41935.674
Parti Negara 19,43313.750
Malayan Indian Congress 18,96813.421
Independents2530.180
Total141,334100.008
Registered voters/turnout178,114

Kedah

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 106,20463.894
Malayan Chinese Association 48,94729.452
Parti Negara 6,6924.030
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 1,5630.940
Independents2,8171.690
Total166,223100.006
Registered voters/turnout193,865

Kelantan

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 130,51378.095
Parti Negara 20,45912.240
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 13,3998.020
Independents2,7581.650
Total167,129100.005
Registered voters/turnout205,901

Malacca

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 26,79053.681
Malayan Chinese Association 17,10434.271
Parti Negara 2,8215.650
Independents3,1946.400
Total49,909100.002
Registered voters/turnout64,708

Negri Sembilan

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 33,25466.342
Malayan Chinese Association 8,40216.761
Parti Negara 7,96815.890
Independents5061.010
Total50,130100.003
Registered voters/turnout58,318

Pahang

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 46,93289.953
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 1,9993.830
Independents3,2446.220
Total52,175100.003
Registered voters/turnout65,240

Penang

PartyVotes%Seats
Malayan Chinese Association 22,95048.481
United Malays National Organisation 14,86531.404
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 3,5237.440
Labour Party of Malaya 2,6505.600
Independents3,3547.080
Total47,342100.005
Registered voters/turnout98,780

Perak

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 72,69444.585
Malayan Chinese Association 34,43921.123
National Association of Perak20,99612.880
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 13,6948.401
Malayan Indian Congress 7,9004.851
Perak Malay League5,4333.330
Labour Party of Malaya 1,1180.690
Perak Progressive Party 1,0810.660
Independents5,6993.500
Total163,054100.0010
Registered voters/turnout206,466

Perlis

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 17,76966.841
Independents8,81433.160
Total26,583100.001
Registered voters/turnout30,936

Selangor

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 33,06946.924
Malayan Chinese Association 17,10924.273
Parti Negara 11,79616.740
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 6,4899.210
Labour Party of Malaya 1,0181.440
Independents1,0031.420
Total70,484100.007
Registered voters/turnout85,579

Terengganu

PartyVotes%Seats
United Malays National Organisation 57,42484.873
Parti Negara 10,24015.130
Total67,664100.003
Registered voters/turnout92,948

State and Settlement Councils

Notes

  1. Gill, Ranjit (1990). Of Political Bondage. Sterling Corporate Services. p. 40. ISBN   981-00-2136-4.
  2. Carnell, Francis G. (December 1955). "The Malayan Elections". Pacific Affairs. University of British Columbia. 28 (4): 315–330. doi:10.2307/3035316. ISSN   0030-851X. JSTOR   3035316.

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