1959 Malayan general election

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1959 Malayan general election
Flag of Malaya (1950-1963).svg
  1955 19 August 1959 1964  

All 104 seats in the Dewan Rakyat
53 seats needed for a majority
Registered2,133,272
Turnout1,564,575 (73.34%)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Tunku Abdul Rahman 1960.jpg Burhanuddin al-Helmy.jpg Ahmad Boestamam.jpg
Leader Tunku Abdul Rahman Burhanuddin al-Helmy Ahmad Boestamam
Party Alliance PMIP Socialist Front
Last election81.68%, 51 seats4.06%, 1 seat0.48%, 0 seats
Seats won74138
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 23Increase2.svg 12Increase2.svg 8
Popular vote800,944329,070199,688
Percentage51.77%21.27%12.91%
SwingDecrease2.svg 29.91ppIncrease2.svg 17.21ppIncrease2.svg 12.43pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Onn Jaafar (cropped 4to3 portrait).jpg MP
Leader D. R. Seenivasagam Onn Jaafar Tan Kee Gak
Party PPP National Party Malayan Party
Last election0.11%, 0 seats7.88%, 0 seats
Seats won411
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 4Increase2.svg 1New
Popular vote97,39132,57813,404
Percentage6.29%2.11%0.87%
SwingIncrease2.svg 6.18ppDecrease2.svg 5.77ppNew

Malaya election results map 1959.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Tunku Abdul Rahman
Alliance

Prime Minister-designate

Tunku Abdul Rahman
Alliance

General elections were held in the Federation of Malaya 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. Voting took place in all 104 parliamentary constituencies of Malaya, each electing one Member of Parliament to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant house of Parliament. Voter turnout was 73%.

Contents

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 52% of the total vote. The opposition as a whole won 30 seats with 48% of the vote.

The 71% 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 (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 all 282 state constituencies in 11 states of Malaya from 20 May to 24 June 1959, each electing one Member to the State Legislative Assembly, the Dewan Undangan Negeri. As a result, PAS took over the administration of Terengganu and Kelantan but served only 2 terms before being retaken by Alliance.

Three Alliance candidates contested unopposed

Timelines

Dewan Rakyat

State legislative assemblies

StateNomination DateState election
Flag of Perlis.svg  Perlis 15 April 195920 May 1959
Flag of Kedah.svg  Kedah 15 April 195920 May 1959
Flag of Malacca.svg  Malacca 18 April 195923 May 1959
Flag of Perak.svg  Perak 22 April 195927 May 1959
Flag of Selangor.svg  Selangor 25 April 195930 May 1959
Flag of Negeri Sembilan.svg  Negeri Sembilan 28 April 19592 June 1959
Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg  Penang 2 May 19596 June 1959
Flag of Johor.svg  Johor 6 May 195910 June 1959
Flag of Pahang.svg  Pahang 13 May 195927 June 1959
Flag of Terengganu.svg  Terengganu 16 May 195920 June 1959
Flag of Kelantan.svg  Kelantan 20 May 195924 June 1959

Results

Malayan Parliament 1959.svg
Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 553,16035.7552+18
Malayan Chinese Association 232,07315.0019+4
Malayan Indian Congress 15,7111.023+1
Total800,94451.7774+23
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 329,07021.2713+12
Malayan Peoples'
Socialist Front
Labour Party of Malaya 199,68812.916+6
Parti Ra'ayat 2New
Total8New
People's Progressive Party 97,3916.294+4
Parti Negara 32,5782.111+1
Malayan Party 13,4040.871New
Independents74,1944.803+3
Total1,547,269100.00104+52
Valid votes1,547,26998.89
Invalid/blank votes17,3061.11
Total votes1,564,575100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,133,27273.34
Source: Nohlen et al.

By state

Johore

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 11+7
Malayan Chinese Association 5+2
Total16+2
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 0New
Total16+8

Kedah

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 10+6
Malayan Chinese Association 20
Total12+6
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 00
Malayan Peoples'
Socialist Front
Labour Party of Malaya 0New
Parti Ra'ayat 0New
Total0New
Independents00
Total12+6

Kelantan

PartySeats+/–
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 9+9
United Malays National Organisation 1–4
Parti Negara 0–4
Total10+5

Malacca

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 2+1
Malayan Chinese Association 10
Total3+1
Malayan Party 1New
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 0New
Total4+2

Negeri Sembilan

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 3+1
Malayan Indian Congress 1New
Malayan Chinese Association 0–1
Total4+1
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 0New
Independents2+2
Total6+3

Pahang

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 5+2
Malayan Chinese Association 1New
Total6+3
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 00
Total6+3

Penang

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 3+1
Malayan Chinese Association 20
Total5+1
Labour Party of Malaya 3+3
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 00
People's Progressive Party 0New
Independents00
Total8+4

Perak

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 9+4
Malayan Chinese Association 5+2
Malayan Indian Congress 10
Total15+6
People's Progressive Party 4+1
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 0–1
Independents1+1
Total20+10

Perlis

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
United Malays National Organisation 17,65359.632+1
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 11,95040.370New
Total29,603100.002+1
Valid votes29,60399.25
Invalid/blank votes2230.75
Total votes29,826100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,35577.76

Selangor

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Alliance Party United Malays National Organisation 5+1
Malayan Chinese Association 30
Malayan Indian Congress 1New
Total9+2
Malayan Peoples'
Socialist Front
Labour Party of Malaya 30
Parti Ra'ayat 2New
Total5New
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 00
Total14+7

Terengganu

PartySeats+/–
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party 4New
United Malays National Organisation 1–2
Parti Negara 1+1
Parti Ra'ayat 0New
Independents0New
Total6+3

State Assemblies

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p152 ISBN   0-19-924959-8
  2. Arkib Negara: Pembentukan Kabinet Yang Pertama Selepas Merdeka [ permanent dead link ] (in Malay)