The election also saw the Alliance lose control of the state governments in Perak, Selangor, Penang and Kelantan. The result and its aftermath triggered widespread racial violence in Kuala Lumpur on 13 May 1969, which saw hundreds of deaths, known as the 13 May incident. In response, the federal government declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament, placing the country under the administration of the National Operations Council (NOC) until 1971.[3] The incident left deep political and social scars and marked a turning point in Malaysian politics.[3]
The crisis also signalled the end of Tunku Abdul Rahman's more moderate premiership. He was succeeded several months later by Tun Abdul Razak, who pursued a more hard-line agenda and sought to further entrench Malay special rights under the Ketuanan Melayu ideology. Razak's government introduced policies to restructure society in favour of the Malays and sought to consolidate federal control. Among his initiatives was the launch of the New Economic Policy (NEP), an affirmative action program, and the creation of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, which was separated from Selangor in 1974.[4]State elections also took place in 330 state constituencies in 12 (out of 13, except Sabah) states of Malaysia on the same day.
Results
Overview
Candidates were returned uncontested in 20 constituencies, with voting in one constituency postponed.[5]West Malaysia went to the polls on 10 May, with Sabah scheduled to vote on 25 May and Sarawak on 7 June. The Alliance Party secured eight seats on nomination day, being unopposed in several constituencies, while Datu Mustapha Datu Harun's United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) won 10 of Sabah's 16 seats unopposed. At the state level, the Alliance suffered significant setbacks, continuing to lose to the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) in Kelantan and to the newly formed Gerakan in Penang. No party commanded an outright majority in two other states, with the Alliance holding only 14 out of 24 seats in Selangor and 19 out of 40 in Perak.[2]
The erosion of Malay support for the Alliance Party was more pronounced than that of non-Malays. In West Malaysia, Malay opposition parties saw their vote share rise sharply from around 15 percent in 1964 to 25 percent in 1969, while support for non-Malay opposition parties remained largely unchanged at about 26 percent in both elections. Despite these gains, the electoral system limited their seat increases. PAS rose from nine to 12 parliamentary seats, while the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a predominantly non-Malay party formed from the Malayan remnants of Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) after the latter's expulsion from Malaysia, expanded from one to 13 seats. These shifts reflected the growing fragmentation of the electorate and signalled deeper political challenges for the Alliance in the years ahead.
Total Electorate for Negri Sembilan (1969): 170 128. Above registered voter count is based on electorate of contested seats (excluding 1 uncontested seat of Rembau-Tampin)
Total Electorate for Pahang (1969): 176768. Above registered voter count is based on electorate of contested seats (excluding 2 uncontested seats which includes MCA seat)
Total Electorate for Penang (1969): 282401. Above registered voter count is based on electorate of contested seats (excluding the uncontested seat of Bagan)
Gerakan and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) held a victory rally in Kuala Lumpur on 12 May. The gathering became increasingly disorderly when party members, who were largely Chinese, and Malay bystanders began exchanging racial epithets.[8] In response and with tensions already running high, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) organised its own rally on 13 May, which escalated into full-scale rioting. The violence that ensued became known as the 13 May Incident, leading to hundreds of deaths.[8]
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