1959 Malayan state elections

Last updated May 27, 2024

State assembly elections were held in Malaya from 20 May to 24 June 1959. The Alliance Party received over 50% of the vote in every state except Kelantan and Trengganu.^[1]

Results

Johore


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	94,273	45.08	20	+10
			Malayan Chinese Association	40,727	19.47	7	+2
			Malayan Indian Congress	5,217	2.49	1	0
		Total		140,217	67.04	28	+12
	Parti Negara			32,288	15.44	0	New
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	10,492	5.02	3	+3
			Parti Ra'ayat	9,919	4.74	0	New
		Total		20,411	9.76	3	+15
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			5,471	2.62	0	0
	Independents			10,755	5.14	1	+1
Total				209,142	100.00	32	+16

Valid votes				209,142	97.50
Invalid/blank votes				5,354	2.50
Total votes				214,496	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				291,224	73.65

Kedah


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	120,627	61.94	18	+9
			Malayan Chinese Association	11,738	6.03	5	+2
			Malayan Indian Congress	6,195	3.18	1	New
		Total		138,560	71.14	24	+11
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			45,979	23.61	0	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	3,233	1.66	0	New
			Parti Ra'ayat	2,813	1.44	0	New
		Total		6,046	3.10	0	New
	Parti Negara			3,666	1.88	0	0
	Independents			512	0.26	0	0
Total				194,763	100.00	24	+12

Valid votes				194,763	96.03
Invalid/blank votes				8,062	3.97
Total votes				202,825	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				268,025	75.67

Kelantan


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			114,858	63.79	28	+28
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	42,156	23.41	1	–14
			Malayan Chinese Association	6,353	3.53	1	0
		Total		48,509	26.94	2	New
	Parti Negara			9,371	5.20	0	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	3,730	2.07	0	New
			Parti Ra'ayat	341	0.19	0	New
		Total		4,071	2.26	0	New
	Independents			3,256	1.81	0	0
Total				180,065	100.00	30	+14

Valid votes				180,065	98.07
Invalid/blank votes				3,547	1.93
Total votes				183,612	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				240,552	76.33

Malacca


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	34,808	48.14	13	+8
			Malayan Chinese Association	13,582	18.79	7	+4
		Total		48,390	66.93	20	+12
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			10,464	14.47	0	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	4,846	6.70	0	New
			Parti Ra'ayat	3,369	4.66	0	New
		Total		8,215	11.36	0	0
	Malayan Party			4,993	6.91	0	New
	Independents			238	0.33	0	0
Total				72,300	100.00	20	+12

Valid votes				72,300	98.22
Invalid/blank votes				1,308	1.78
Total votes				73,608	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				93,740	78.52

Negri Sembilan


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	33,016	38.00	11	+2
			Malayan Chinese Association	11,724	13.49	7	+5
			Malayan Indian Congress	3,752	4.32	2	+1
		Total		48,492	55.81	20	+8
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	13,121	15.10	3	+3
			Parti Ra'ayat	2,392	2.75	0	New
		Total		15,513	17.86	3	+3
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			8,819	10.15	0	0
	Parti Negara			3,438	3.96	0	0
	Independents			10,621	12.22	1	+1
Total				86,883	100.00	24	+12

Valid votes				86,883	97.71
Invalid/blank votes				2,033	2.29
Total votes				88,916	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				111,336	79.86

Pahang


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	42,229	52.29	17	+3
			Malayan Chinese Association	7,801	9.66	6	+4
			Malayan Indian Congress	1,336	1.65	0	0
		Total		51,366	63.61	23	+7
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			18,167	22.50	0	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Parti Ra'ayat	4,665	5.78	0	New
			Labour Party of Malaya	1,507	1.87	0	New
		Total		6,172	7.64	0	0
	Independents			5,049	6.25	1	+1
Total				80,754	100.00	24	+9

Valid votes				80,754	97.64
Invalid/blank votes				1,956	2.36
Total votes				82,710	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				109,535	75.51

Penang


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	34,171	25.69	10	+3
			Malayan Chinese Association	29,406	22.11	6	+1
			Malayan Indian Congress	4,341	3.26	1	–1
		Total		67,918	51.06	17	+3
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Labour Party of Malaya	33,902	25.49	7	+7
			Parti Ra'ayat	5,167	3.88	0	New
		Total		39,069	29.37	7	+7
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			10,772	8.10	0	0
	People's Progressive Party			7,612	5.72	0	0
	Parti Negara			1,124	0.85	0	0
	Independents			6,518	4.90	0	0
Total				133,013	100.00	24	+14

Valid votes				133,013	98.09
Invalid/blank votes				2,596	1.91
Total votes				135,609	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				188,661	71.88

Perak


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	98,513	32.48	21	+10
			Malayan Chinese Association	57,574	18.98	9	+3
			Malayan Indian Congress	9,705	3.20	1	-2
		Total		165,792	54.65	31	+11
	People's Progressive Party			73,792	24.33	8	0
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			46,280	15.26	1	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Parti Ra'ayat	7,852	2.59	0	0
			Labour Party of Malaya	3,879	1.28	0	New
		Total		11,731	3.87	0	0
	Independents			5,753	1.90	0	0
Total				303,348	100.00	40	+19

Valid votes				303,348	97.77
Invalid/blank votes				6,918	2.23
Total votes				310,266	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				450,094	68.93

Perlis


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	16,105	52.50	10	+1
			Malayan Chinese Association	3,506	11.43	2	New
		Total		19,521	63.63	12	+1
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			8,026	26.16	0	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Parti Ra'ayat	393	1.28	0	New
	Independents			2,649	8.63	0	0
Total				30,679	100.00	12	+3

Valid votes				30,679	97.95
Invalid/blank votes				642	2.05
Total votes				31,321	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				31,231	100.29

Selangor


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	61,861	33.87	14	+6
			Malayan Chinese Association	34,660	18.97	8	+5
			Malayan Indian Congress	8,613	4.72	1	–1
		Total		105,134	57.56	23	+10
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Parti Ra'ayat	16,733	9.16	2	New
			Labour Party of Malaya	15,563	8.52	1	+1
		Total		32,296	17.68	3	+1
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			21,273	11.65	0	0
	People's Progressive Party			7,177	3.93	0	0
	Parti Negara			3,742	2.05	0	0
	Malayan Party			2,567	1.41	0	New
	Independents			10,476	5.74	2	+2
Total				182,665	100.00	28	+15

Valid votes				182,665	97.49
Invalid/blank votes				4,711	2.51
Total votes				187,376	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				270,780	69.20

Trengganu


Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Pan-Malayan Islamic Party			29,764	37.69	13	New
	Alliance Party		United Malays National Organisation	24,018	30.41	5	-10
			Malayan Chinese Association	3,149	3.99	2	New
		Total		27,167	34.40	7	-10
	Parti Negara			12,847	16.27	4	0
	Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front		Parti Ra'ayat	6,404	8.11	0	New
	Independents			2,793	3.54	0	0
Total				78,975	100.00	24	+9

Valid votes				78,975	96.36
Invalid/blank votes				2,984	3.64
Total votes				81,959	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				114,904	71.33

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan Emergency</span> 1948–1960 conflict in British Malaya

The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War(1948–1960), was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces of the Federation of Malaya, British Empire and Commonwealth. The communists fought to win independence for Malaya from the British Empire and to establish a socialist economy, while the Malayan Federation and Commonwealth forces fought to combat communism and protect British economic and colonial interests. The term "Emergency" was used by the British to characterise the conflict in order to avoid referring to it as a war, because London-based insurers would not pay out in instances of civil wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Malaya</span> Public research university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The University of Malaya is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in newly independent Malaya. The university has graduated five prime ministers of Malaysia, and other political, business, and cultural figures of national prominence.

The Malayan Union was a union of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administration. Following opposition by the ethnic Malays, the union was reorganised as the Federation of Malaya in 1948.

The Federation of Malaya, more commonly known as Malaya, was a country of what previously had been the Malayan Union and more previously, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca. It was established on 1 February 1948.

The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula — Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang — established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with two of the former Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States, formed the Malayan Union. Two years later, the Union became the Federation of Malaya, which achieved independence in 1957, and finally Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.

The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories.

The Malayan Communist Party (MCP), officially the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), was a Marxist–Leninist and anti-imperialist communist party which was active in British Malaya and later, the modern states of Malaysia and Singapore from 1930 to 1989. It was responsible for the creation of both the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army and the Malayan National Liberation Army.

The Football Association of Malaysia is the national governing body of football in Malaysia. The Football Association of Malaysia headquarters is located at Wisma FAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysia Cup</span> Association football tournament in Malaysia

The Malaysia Cup, formerly known as Malaya Cup, is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the country's oldest cup tournament, it does not guarantee a place in a continental competition, which is allocated to the Malaysia FA Cup winners. The competition was previously managed by the Football Association of Malaysia, before it was transferred to the Football Malaysia LLP in the 2016 season.

The term "British Malaya" loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. Unlike the term "British India", which excludes the Indian princely states, British Malaya is often used to refer to the Federated and the Unfederated Malay States, which were British protectorates with their own local rulers, as well as the Straits Settlements, which were under the sovereignty and direct rule of the British Crown, after a period of control by the East India Company.

Malaya, then under British administration, was gradually occupied by Japanese forces between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. The first Japanese garrison in Malaya to lay down their arms was in Penang on 2 September 1945 aboard HMS Nelson.

The 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade was a regular infantry brigade formed in 1939 with its headquarters in Singapore immediately after the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. The Brigade participated in the Battle of Singapore against the Japanese until the surrender of the garrison in February 1942.

Singapore, officially the State of Singapore, was one of the 14 states of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 by the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the former British colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This marked the end of the 144-year British rule in Singapore which began with the founding of modern Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. At the time of merger, it was the smallest state in the country by land area, but the largest by population.

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, 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%.

Malay nationalism refers to the nationalism that focused overwhelmingly on the Malay anticolonial struggle, motivated by the nationalist ideal of creating a Bangsa Melayu. Its central objectives were the advancement and protection of Malayness: religion (Islam), language (Malay), and royalty. Such pre-occupation is a direct response to the European colonial presence and the influx of a foreign migrant population in Malaya since the mid-nineteenth century.

The British Military Administration (BMA) was the interim administrator of British Malaya from August 1945, the end of World War II, to the establishment of the Malayan Union in April 1946. The BMA was under the direct command of the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, Lord Louis Mountbatten. The administration had the dual function of maintaining basic subsistence during the period of reoccupation, and also of imposing the state structure upon which post-war imperial power would rest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Party of Malaya</span> Political party in Malaysia

The Labour Party of Malaya was a political party in Malaya that was active between 1952 and 1969. It was originally formed as a confederation of state based labour parties known as the Pan-Malayan Labour Party (PMLP).

Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya, also known as West Malaysia or the "Malaysian Peninsula", is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the nearby islands. Its area totals approximately 132,490 km² (51,150 sq mi), which is nearly 40% of the total area of the country; the other 60% is in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

The Malaysia Agreement, or the Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore (MA63) was a legal document which agreed to combine North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore with the existing states of Malaya, the resulting union being named Malaysia. Signed in London, United Kingdom, the agreement has been in effect since 16 September 1963; Singapore was subsequently expelled from Malaysia not long after this agreement, becoming an sovereign state on 9 August 1965.

References

↑ Thomas Henry Silcock (1963) The Political Economy of Independent Malaya: A Case-study in Development, University of California Press, p19

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Thomas Henry Silcock (1963) The Political Economy of Independent Malaya: A Case-study in Development, University of California Press, p19

[1]

v t e Elections in Malaysia
Federal	1955 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1995 1999 2004 2008 2013 2018 2022 Next
State	1954 1955 1959 (Malaya) 1959 (Sarawak) 1963 1964 1967 1969 1971 1974 1976 1978 1979 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1990 1991 1994 1995 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2008 2011 2013 2016 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023
Local	1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
See also: Federal by-elections State by-elections Elections in Johor Kedah Kelantan Kuala Lumpur Labuan Malacca Negeri Sembilan Pahang Penang Perak Perlis Putrajaya Sabah Sarawak Selangor Terengganu