Memorable elections through the years: Can GE14 top them all?

KUALA LUMPUR ― Official campaigning for Malaysia’s general election started on Saturday (April 28) but it already feels like politicians have been at it for the last couple of weeks.

Party flags from both sides of the political divide are everywhere and everybody seems to have an opinion about who should or should not run.

Some pundits are already calling Malaysia’s 14th general election (GE14) the mother of all elections (but they always say that about every election, right?).

Let's take a look at some truly memorable general elections in the past.

1955: MALAYA’S ONLY GENERAL ELECTION

Voting took place in all 52 federal constituencies of Malaya and it ended with a decisive victory for the Alliance consisting of United Malays National Organisation (Umno), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) ― now known as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Parti Negara led by former Umno president Onn Jaafar suffered a heavy defeat; the Alliance proceeded to form the new government with Tunku Abdul Rahman elected as Malaya’s first and only Chief Minister.

DID YOU KNOW? Malaya’s only general election was held on a Wednesday, July 27, 1955. So stop complaining about the day or date set by the Election Commission and go out and vote on Wednesday, May 9.

1964: MALAYSIA’S SECOND GENERAL ELECTION

Malaysia’s second general election after gaining independence in 1957 saw the Alliance Party dominate again, winning 89 of the 104 seats contested.

It was the only Malaysian general election Singapore’s People’s Action Party took part in.

DID YOU KNOW? It was Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s debut in Parliament ― being elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kubang Pasu. Dr Mahathir was primed to run in the 1959 election but ruled himself out after a disagreement with prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman over his choice to retain British and Commonwealth forces in Malaysia after independence. Yes,Dr  Mahathir has been in the game for a very long time.

1969: WELCOME ABOARD, SABAH AND SARAWAK

This election marked the first parliamentary election held in Sabah and Sarawak after the formation of Malaysia in 1963. The Alliance lost its two-thirds majority as they garnered only 66 seats while the Opposition won 54.

DID YOU KNOW? The May 13 incident occurred in the aftermath of the election when the opposition parties made gains on the Alliance.

1974: BARISAN NASIONAL’S DEBUT

The Alliance Party rebranded itself as Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1973 and contested in its first general election. Instead of the sailboat, they chose a weighing scale symbol.

It was was made up of Umno, MCA, MIC, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Gerakan, Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera, PAS and the Sabah Alliance Party. It was a landslide victory for BN as they took 135 of the 154 seats available.

DID YOU KNOW? Malaysia’s second prime minister Abdul Razak died two years later while seeking medical treatment in London. This resulted in a 22-year-old Mr Najib Razak becoming the youngest candidate to win the uncontested Pekan parliament seat while Hussein Onn became the country’s third prime minister.

1990: COALITIONS CLASH

The first general election after the Umno party split in 1988. The reconstituted Umno Baru led by incumbent Prime Minister Mahathir and Parti Melayu Semangat 46 (S46) led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah contested for the first time in the elections.

The Opposition coalition won 53 seats and came close to denying BN a two-thirds majority even though they won 127 out of 180 seats contested.

DID YOU KNOW? Just days before the elections, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) pulled out of BN to join Gagasan Rakyat (with DAP and Semangat 46).

2013: BN MANAGES TO SUSTAIN OPPOSITION CHARGE

Coalition parties MCA, MIC and Gerakan posted one of their poorest performances but Najib managed to lead BN to a 133-seat win in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

The Opposition parties had a memorable performance under the Pakatan Rakyat banner claiming 89 seats. This election saw a number of political developments in BN and the Opposition camp which has led us to where we are today.

Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir were sacked while vice-president Shafie Apdal quit the party three years later. THE MALAY MAIL