1974 Malaysian general election

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1974 Malaysian general election
Flag of Malaysia.svg
  1969 24 August – 14 September 1974 1978  

All 154 seats in the Dewan Rakyat
78 seats needed for a majority
Registered4,013,012 [a] [2]
Turnout75.01%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Tun Abdul Razak Universiti (4to3).jpg Lim Kit Siang (3to4).jpg James Wong.jpg
Leader Abdul Razak Hussein Lim Kit Siang James Wong
Party BN DAP SNAP
Last election82.35%, 121 seats11.96%, 13 seats2.70%, 9 seats
Seats won13599
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 14Decrease2.svg 4Steady2.svg
Popular vote1,287,463387,845117,566
Percentage60.76%18.30%5.55%
SwingIncrease2.svg14.47ppIncrease2.svg6.34ppIncrease2.svg2.85pp

Malaysia election results map 1974.svg
Results by constituency.

Prime Minister before election

Abdul Razak Hussein
BN

Prime Minister-designate

Abdul Razak Hussein
BN

General elections were held in Malaysia between Saturday, 24 August and Saturday, 14 September 1974. [3] Voting took place in all 154 parliamentary constituencies of Malaysia, each electing one Member of Parliament to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant house of Parliament. State elections also took place in 360 state constituencies (except Sabah) on the same day. The elections were the first and only general elections for Tun Abdul Razak as Prime Minister following his appointment to the position in 1970. They were also the first general elections for Barisan Nasional (BN), a new political alliance replacing the Alliance Party; with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (PGRM) and the People's Progressive Party (PPP) joining the parties from the old Alliance.

Contents

Once Parliament had been dissolved on 31 July 1974, the Election Commission fixed 8 August 1974, as Nomination Day and 24 August 1974, as Polling Day. Candidates were returned unopposed in 47 constituencies. The 1,060,871 electors from these constituencies therefore did not cast ballots. Another 88 Front members were later successful, thus enabling their alliance to gain an overwhelming majority in the House. This result was a victory for Barisan Nasional which won 135 of the 154 seats. 10 additional Parliament seats was created in the Peninsular Malaysia in 1974.

Results

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 1,287,46360.7362+10
Malaysian Chinese Association 19+6
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 13+1
United Sabah National Organisation 130
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu 8New
Sarawak United Peoples' Party 7+2
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia 5–3
Malaysian Indian Congress 4+2
Sabah Chinese Association 30
People's Progressive Party 1–3
Total135+14
Democratic Action Party 387,84518.309–4
Sarawak National Party 117,5035.5490
Malaysian Social Justice Party 108,7095.131New
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 84,2063.9700
Homeland Consciousness Union8,6250.410New
Independent People's Progressive Party1,3560.060New
Independents124,2025.860–1
Total2,119,909100.00154+10
Valid votes2,119,90995.48
Invalid/blank votes100,2674.52
Total votes2,220,176100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,956,37875.10
Source: Nohlen et al., IPU, Tindak Malaysia Github

Total Electorate (1974): 4013012. Registered voters shown above is the total electorate of contested seats excluding 47 uncontested seats

*Comparison BN vote growth in pop-up box on the top right since 1969 elections was the comparison between BN (1974) and Alliance with Sabah and Sarawak Alliance (1969)

By state

Source: [4]

Johore

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 77,04636.91110
Malaysian Chinese Association 72,52034.7450
Total149,56671.66160
DAP 43,00220.6000
PSRM 6,0152.8800
Independent 10,1424.8600
Total208,725100.00160
Valid votes208,72595.71
Invalid/blank votes9,3544.29
Total votes218,079100.00
Registered voters/turnout290,49175.07

Kedah

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 52,11247.368+1
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 16,47514.9730
Malaysian Chinese Association 13,42012.2020
Total82,00774.52130
DAP 9,4508.5900
KITA 4,0163.650New
PSRM 4,0993.7200
Independents 10,4719.5200
Total110,043100.0013+1
Valid votes110,04395.19
Invalid/blank votes5,5624.81
Total votes115,605100.00
Registered voters/turnout165,67569.78

Kelantan

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 81,28054.897+1
United Malays National Organisation 29,67720.045+1
Total110,95774.9412+2
Independents 37,11125.0600
Total148,068100.0012+2
Valid votes148,06895.14
Invalid/blank votes7,5644.86
Total votes155,632100.00
Registered voters/turnout209,95374.13

Kuala Lumpur

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia 15,68213.7700
United Malays National Organisation 14,74312.9510
Malaysian Chinese Association 9,8868.6800
Malaysian Indian Congress 9,7638.5810
Total50,07443.9820
Democratic Action Party 42,59137.4120
Malaysian Social Justice Party 20,50418.011New
Independents 6810.6000
Total113,850100.0050
Valid votes113,85098.34
Invalid/blank votes1,9191.66
Total votes115,769100.00
Registered voters/turnout115,769100.00

Malacca

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 39,51134.7120
Malaysian Chinese Association 31,64227.7910
Total71,15362.5030
Democratic Action Party 17,66415.5210
Malaysian Social Justice Party 12,83811.280New
PSRM 10,2769.0300
Independents 1,9101.6800
Total113,841100.0040
Valid votes113,84196.16
Invalid/blank votes4,5503.84
Total votes118,391100.00
Registered voters/turnout151,69978.04

Negri Sembilan

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 14,13816.1030
Malaysian Chinese Association 26,71430.431+1
Malaysian Indian Congress 13,29515.141+1
Total54,14761.685+2
Democratic Action Party 27,95631.841–2
PSRM 1,4511.650
Independent People's Progressive Party 1,3561.540New
Malaysian Social Justice Party 9671.100New
Independent 1,9142.180
Total87,791100.0060
Valid votes87,79194.52
Invalid/blank votes5,0885.48
Total votes92,879100.00
Registered voters/turnout121,09776.70

Pahang

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 49,91754.957+2
Malaysian Chinese Association 12,06413.2810
Total61,98168.238+2
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 14,24415.6800
DAP 11,89813.1000
Independents 2,7213.0000
Total90,844100.008+2
Valid votes90,84494.73
Invalid/blank votes5,0495.27
Total votes95,893100.00
Registered voters/turnout126,71175.68

Penang

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional Malaysian Chinese Association 46,22622.153+2
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia 42,79220.513–2
United Malays National Organisation 28,33113.583+2
Total117,34956.249+2
Democratic Action Party 51,02524.450–1
Malaysian Social Justice Party 26,64012.770New
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 12,4095.9500
Homeland Consciousness Union1,2350.590New
Total208,658100.009+1
Registered voters/turnout271,133

Perak

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 11+4
Malaysian Chinese Association 2+1
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia 2+1
Malaysian Indian Congress 10
People's Progressive Party 1–3
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 10
Total17+3
Democratic Action Party 4–1
Total22+1

Perlis

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 29,03966.9920
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 2,7966.4500
Independents11,51326.5600
Total43,348100.0020
Valid votes43,34894.74
Invalid/blank votes2,4075.26
Total votes45,755100.00
Registered voters/turnout58,72177.92

Sabah

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Sabah National Organisation 6,46860.85130
Sabah Chinese Association 30
Total160
Malaysian Social Justice Party 4,16239.150New
Total10,630100.00160
Valid votes10,63096.03
Invalid/blank votes4393.97
Total votes11,069100.00
Registered voters/turnout14,24277.72

Sarawak

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Barisan Nasional Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu 83,72231.269New
Sarawak United Peoples' Party 64,23523.996+1
Total147,95755.2515+1
Sarawak National Party 117,50343.8890
Independents2,3220.870–1
Total267,782100.00240

Selangor

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 5–1
Malaysian Chinese Association 4+2
Malaysian Indian Congress 10
Total10+1
Democratic Action Party 1–2
Total11–3

Trengganu

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 40
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 3+1
Total7+1
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 00
Independents00
Total7+1

Aftermath

After the election, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) became the largest opposition party in the Malaysian parliament and James Wong was appointed the opposition leader. After 2 months, he was detained under Internal Security Act. Datuk Seri Edmund Langgau Anak Saga from the SNAP party later succeeded him. James Wong was detained for almost two years before negotiation led by Datuk Amar Leo Moggie Anak Irok resulting in SNAP joining the Barisan Nasional.

See also

Notes

  1. Candidates were returned unopposed in 47 constituencies, reducing the number of eligible voters to 2,956,378. [1]

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p156 ISBN   0-19-924959-8
  2. Tindak Malaysia Github
  3. Nohlen et al., p152
  4. "HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/1974-ELECTION-RESULTS/MALAYSIA_1974_PARLIAMENT_RESULTS.csv at main · TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS". GitHub. Retrieved 25 April 2025.