People's Progressive Party (Malaysia)

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People's Progressive Party
Malay nameParti Progresif Penduduk
ڤرتي ڤروڬريسيف ڤندودوق
Chinese name人民進步黨
人民进步党
rénmín jìnbù dǎng
AbbreviationPPP
PresidentDatuk Dr. Loga Bala Mohan
Secretary-GeneralDato' Inder Singh
Vice PresidentDatuk Mohan Kandasamy
Dato Elayppen Muthusamy
Datuk Lee Heng
Women's ChiefPunitha Munusamy
Youth ChiefSathiah Sudakaran
Founder D. R. Seenivasagam
Founded10 April 1953
19 April 2023 re-registered
Dissolved14 January 2019 [1]
Preceded byPerak Progressive Party
HeadquartersWisma PPP 74, Jalan Rotan, Kampung Attap, 50460 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Youth wing PPP Pemuda Movement
Women's wing PPP Women's Movement
Men's youth wingPPP Putera Movement
Women's youth wingPPP Puteri Movement
Membership (2006)500,000
Ideology Liberal conservatism
Civic nationalism
Political position Centre-right
National affiliation Alliance (1953–1955)
Malaysian Solidarity Convention (1965)
United Front (1966)
Barisan Nasional (1973–2018)
Colours  Gold
Slogan"Peace, Progressive, Prosperity"
Website
www.myppp.org.my

People's Progressive Party on Facebook

The People's Progressive Party (PPP; Malay : Parti Progresif Penduduk) is a multiracial political party in Malaysia and was one of the component members of the National Front or Barisan Nasional coalition from 1973 to 2018.

Contents

The party has two distinct phases - the first as a respected opposition party from the 1950s to the 1970s when its stronghold was Perak and it led the administration of Ipoh. The second was as a minor party in the Barisan Nasional coalition that only won a single parliamentary seat in more than four decades and was riddled with factional disputes.

The loss of the Barisan Nasional in the 2018 Malaysian general election caused the party to split into two factions one led by Maglin Dennis D'Cruz who supported myPPP remaining part of the coalition and the other led by party president M. Kayveas who insisted on myPPP leaving the BN coalition. The latter emerged victorious in the immediate power struggle and myPPP subsequently exited the Barisan Nasional coalition. [2] However, the Registrar of Societies de-registered the party in 2019 amid a renewed dispute between D'cruz and Kayveas. [1]

History

PPP was formed in 1953 as the Perak Progressive Party by the Seenivasagam brothers mainly as an opposition party to the Alliance; the party's first president was Kanagaratnam Pillai with the Seenivasagam brothers as senior office bearers. It was a hugely popular party upon inception, particularly due to the popularity of the brothers who spoke up for justice, equality and the common man.

For a short period in 1954, PPP joined the ruling Alliance with UMNO, MIC, and MCA (which would later become the Barisan Nasional), but withdrew in 1955 over disagreement with the Alliance on allocation of seats, to become an opposition party again. In 1956, it changed its name to the People's Progressive Party. In 1969, as a strong opposition party, PPP was nearly able to form the Perak State Government, but fell short of just 2 seats in combination with the opposition to form the state assembly when 2 of its members crossed over. The success of PPP was mainly due to the Chinese vote, though many of the top leaders then were Indians.

In 1973, PPP became one of the founding members of the National Front. It was brought into the National Front to keep the Indian and Chinese vote, especially after the 1969 racial riots.

However, joining the coalition would prove its undoing as it lost nearly all its seats when it contested under the Barisan Nasional ticket in the 1974 General Elections. This was mainly due to Chinese anti-establishment feeling that was prevailing at that time.[ citation needed ] Many PPP stalwarts transferred their allegiance to the DAP during that time.

Following the loss of its final parliamentary seat in 1978, the party descended into factionalism and was on the verge of disbanding.

However PPP enjoyed a renaissance of sorts under the leadership of M. Kayveas.

He rebranded the party and claimed to have boosted its membership to more than 500,000 with a network of over 3000 branches throughout the country. All registered members carry a membership card signed by the President; the President's card is signed by the Secretary General.[ citation needed ] As of 2006, 48% of the PPP's membership was Indian, 32% Chinese, 13% Malay, and the rest were of other ethnicities. [3]

In November 2006, party president, M. Kayveas, proposed a merger between the PPP and another Barisan Nasional party, the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia. Koh Tsu Koon, Gerakan's Deputy President, welcomed the suggestion, but ultimately nothing came out of it. [3]

The 2008 Malaysian General Elections saw the party being decimated. However the party retained its representation in the Senate and was later allocated a Deputy Minister post occupied by T. Murugiah.

In the aftermath of the 2018 Malaysian General Elections, the party under President M. Kayveas announced myPPP's exit from the Barisan Nasional coalition after its loss of power in the election. There was a subsequent power struggle between the "remain" and "leave" factions of myPPP led by Maglin Dennis D'Cruz and M. Kayveas respectively. The former emerged victorious in the power struggle and via a letter dated 11 April 2023, the Home Minister decided that Maglin Dennis D'Cruz was the lawful President of myPPP. [4]

Maglin however died on November the same year, [5] and as of June 2024, the party was temporarily helmed by J. Loga Bala Mohan. [6] Loga Bala subsequently were confirmed as the permanent president of the party when he won the post uncontested in the party's annual general meeting on 1 September 2024. [7]

Chronology

Representatives

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

List of party presidents

OrderName [13] Term of officeYears
1Kanagaratnam Pillai1953196411
2 D. R. Seenivasagam 196419695
3 S. P. Seenivasagam 196919756
4Khong Kok Yet197519783
5S. I. Rajah197819824
6Paramjit Singh198219853
7Tee Ah Chuan198519861
(6)Paramjit Singh198619882
8Mak Hon Kam19881988>1
(5)S. I. Rajah198819935
9 M. Kayveas 1993201825
10Maglin Dennis D'Cruz20182019<1
Party de-registered (2019-2023)
Party re-registered (2023-current)
(10)Maglin Dennis D'Cruz20232023<1
11Loga Bala2024Incumbent

General election results

ElectionTotal seats wonTotal votesShare of votesOutcome of electionElection leader
1955
0 / 144
1,0810.1%Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament D. R. Seenivasagam
1959
4 / 144
97,3916.3%Increase2.svg4 seats; Opposition D. R. Seenivasagam
1964
2 / 144
69,8983.4%Decrease2.svg2 seats; Opposition D. R. Seenivasagam
1969
4 / 144
80,7563.4%Increase2.svg2 seats; Opposition,
later Governing coalition
(Alliance Party)
S. P. Seenivasagam
1974
1 / 144
Decrease2.svg3 seats; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional)
S. P. Seenivasagam
1978
0 / 154
Decrease2.svg1 seat; No representation in Parliament S. I. Rajah
1982
0 / 154
Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament Paramjit Singh
1986
0 / 177
Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament Paramjit Singh
1990
0 / 180
Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament S. I. Rajah
1995
0 / 192
Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament M. Kayveas
1999
0 / 193
Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament M. Kayveas
2004
1 / 219
Increase2.svg1 seat; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional)
M. Kayveas
2008
0 / 222
16,8000.21%Decrease2.svg1 seat; No representation in Parliament M. Kayveas
2013
0 / 222
7,5300.07%Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliament M. Kayveas
2018
0 / 222
7,4220.06%Steady2.svg; No representation in Parliamentdisputed

State election results

State electionState Legislative Assembly
Kelantan Penang Perak Selangor Negeri Sembilan Malacca Total won / Total contested
2/3 majority
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
1955
0 / 19
0 / 2
1959
0 / 24
8 / 40
0 / 28
8 / 39
1964
0 / 24
5 / 40
0 / 28
0 / 24
5 / 26
1969
0 / 24
12 / 40
12 / 16
1974
2 / 42
2 / 9
1978
1 / 42
1 / 4
1982
0 / 42
0 / 3
1986
1 / 46
1 / 3
2004
0 / 59
0 / 1
2008
0 / 59
0 / 1
2013
0 / 45
0 / 59
0 / 56
0 / 28
0 / 4

Elected representatives

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "RoS deregisters MyPPP, party has 30 days to appeal | The Star". www.thestar.com.my.
  2. Online, N. S. T. (19 May 2018). "MyPPP leaves BN with immediate effect | New Straits Times". NST Online.
  3. 1 2 Suthakar, K. (20 November 2006). PPP offers Gerakan merger Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine . The Star.
  4. Bernama (11 April 2023). "myPPP kini sah di bawah kepimpinan Maglin". www.astroawani.com (in Malay). Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  5. Chong, Debra (17 November 2023). "MyPPP president Maglin Dennis D'Cruz, 67, dies in Klang hospital". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  6. Alagesh, TN (23 June 2024). "Selepas 5 tahun 'mimpi buruk', MyPPP mahu bangkit kembali". Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  7. Bernama (1 September 2024). "Loga Bala sah Presiden MyPPP baharu". Harian Metro (in Malay). Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  8. Anwar announces defection from PPP (4 April 2009). . Malaysiakini.
  9. "Kayveas sacked as MyPPP president (Updated)". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  10. "MyPPP power struggle continues - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  11. "Kayveas holds own party AGM - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  12. "Cameron Highlands: MyPPP will appeal to RoS against de-registration - Kayveas". www.nst.com.my. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  13. PPP Party History [ permanent dead link ]

Other references