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
Registered4,017,266 [a]
Turnout75.00%
 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 vote1,287,400387,845117,566
Percentage60.81%18.32%5.55%
SwingDecrease2.svg21.54ppIncrease2.svg6.36ppIncrease2.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. [2] 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 1,287,40060.8162+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 387,84518.329–4
Sarawak National Party 117,5665.5590
Malaysian Social Justice Party 105,7184.991New
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 84,2063.9800
Homeland Consciousness Union8,6230.410New
Independent People's Progressive Party1,3560.060New
Independents124,2025.870–1
Total2,116,916100.00154+10
Valid votes2,116,91695.48
Invalid/blank votes100,2694.52
Total votes2,217,185100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,956,39575.00
Source: Nohlen et al., IPU

By state

Johore

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 110
Malaysian Chinese Association 50
Total160
Total160

Kedah

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 8+1
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 30
Malaysian Chinese Association 20
Total130
Total13+1

Kelantan

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 7+1
United Malays National Organisation 5+1
Total12+2
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 00
Independents00
Total12+2

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
Independents6810.6000
Total113,850100.0050
Valid votes113,85098.34
Invalid/blank votes1,9191.66
Total votes115,769100.00
Registered voters/turnout115,769100.00

Malacca

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 20
Malaysian Chinese Association 10
Total30
Democratic Action Party 10
Total40

Negri Sembilan

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 30
Malaysian Chinese Association 1+1
Malaysian Indian Congress 1+1
Total5+2
Democratic Action Party 1–2
Total60

Pahang

Party or allianceSeats+/–
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 7+2
Malaysian Chinese Association 10
Total8+2
Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia 00
Total8+2

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 2,956,395. [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. Nohlen et al., p152