About
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and
three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular
Malaysia and
Borneo's East Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the country's largest city, and the seat of the
legislative branch of the federal government. Putrajaya is the administrative centre, which
represents the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and federal agencies) and
the judicial branch of the federal government.
Politics of Malaysia takes place in the framework of a federal representative democratic constitutional
monarchy, in
which the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is head of state and the Prime Minister of
Malaysia is the head of
government. Executive
power is exercised by the federal government and the 13 state governments.
Legislative power is vested in
the federal
parliament and the 13 state assemblies. The judiciary is independent of the
executive and the legislature,
though the
executive maintains a certain level of influence in the appointment of judges to the courts.
The Constitution of Malaysia is codified and the system of government is based on the
Westminster system. The Parliament consists of the Dewan Negara (Upper House/Senate) and
Dewan Rakyat (Lower House/House of Representatives). In general elections, registered voters vote
for the
members of the House of Representatives
The 15th General Election was held in Malaysia on Saturday, 19 November 2022. The prospect
of snap
elections had been considered high due to the political crisis that had been ongoing since
2020; political instability caused by coalition or party switching among
members of Parliament, combined with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic,
contributed to the resignation of two prime ministers and the collapse of each of
their respective coalition governments since the 2018 general elections.
The term of the 14th Parliament was due to expire on 16 July 2023, five years after its first meeting on 16
July
2018. However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), Abdullah of Pahang,
dissolved parliament at
the request
of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on 10 October 2022. Constitutionally, the elections
were required to
be held
within 60 days of the dissolution, making 9 December the last possible polling day.
King Abdullah of Pahang
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah is the Sultan of Pahang since the abdication of his father in 2019. He was the sixteenth King of Malaysia, from 2019 to 2024, being sworn in just a few weeks after ascending to the throne as Sultan of Pahang.
Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob
Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob is a Malaysian lawyer and politician (member of the UMNO party, part of the BN alliance) who served as the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2021 to 2022. He is both the shortest-serving prime minister (served for 15 months), and shortest-serving deputy prime minister (served for 40 days).
Timeline
Malaysia has had a multi-party system since the first direct election of the Federal Legislative Council of Malaya in 1955 on a first-past-the-post basis. The ruling party was the Alliance Party (Malay: Parti Perikatan) coalition and from 1973 onwards, its successor, the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition. Together with its predecessor, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government served for 61 years and was one of the world's longest serving governments until it lost power to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in the 14th general election that was held on 9 May 2018. Following the 2020–22 Malaysian political crisis, the Perikatan Nasional government served from 1 March 2020 to 17 August 2021 when Barisan Nasional withdrew support and left the coalition.
Summary
Dissolution of Parliament
Oct 10, 2022
Ismail Sabri announced that the 14th Parliament had been dissolved to pave way for the upcoming 15th general election, which would be held within 60 days. On October 20, the Election Commission revealed the polling date for the 15th general election set on 19 November.
Anti-hopping law
Oct 3, 2022
In the Hous of Representatives, a constitutional amendment was passed. The King gave his consent to the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No. 3) 2022, which prohibits members of parliament from switching political parties.
Bipartisan cooperation
Sept 12, 2021
The government under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the opposition led by Anwar Ibrahim reached an agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bipartisan cooperation to ensure political cooperation and stability amid the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that no elections would be held before July 31, 2022. This event marked a historic moment in Malaysian politics, as it was the first time such bipartisan cooperation had been formally established.
Reconvening of parliament
Sept 10, 2021
The Malaysian cabinet approved several key reforms, including an Anti-Party Hopping Bill, equal membership in parliamentary committees, consultations on all bills, providing the Opposition Leader with the same amenities as a cabinet minister, limiting a prime minister's term to 10 years, and accelerating an amendment to allow 18-year-olds to vote and stand in elections. The opposition expressed its support for these reforms the following day, recognizing their importance for the nation.
New Prime Minister
Aug 21, 2021
Ismail Sabri Yaakob (UMNO) is sworn in as the Prime Minister. An online petition opposing Ismail Sabri's appointment gained over 200,000 signatures within the first 8 hours, and subsequently garnered more than 350,000 signatures
Intervention by the Palace
Aug 17-20, 2021
The King met with MPs, asking them to send him their choice for next Prime Minister by 4pm on 18 August. The National Palace received nominations for the future prime minister from 220 MPs, each through a statutory declaration on 18 August 2021. From the declaration letters, a total of 114 MPs nominated Ismail Sabri, a sufficient majority to form the government. Following that, the King agreed to grant an audience with the 114 MPs to confirm their trust in Ismail Sabri who was nominated to be appointed as the next prime minister.
Resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin
Aug 16, 2021
Muhyiddin Yassin resigns as Prime Minister after failing to maintain a parliamentary majority. The Palace also announced that an election would not be held due to the ongoing pandemic, and that the Agong would once again appoint the next Prime Minister.
Second Withdrawal of Support by UMNO
Aug 3, 2021
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi along with 10 other UMNO MPs held a press conference announcing the withdrawal of UMNO's support for Muhyiddin as prime minister. Other UMNO members in the Cabinet also resigned from their posts, citing loyalty to the party, except the Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
First Withdrawal of Support by UMNO
Jul 8, 2021
Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman and UMNO President Ahmad Zahid addressed the media virtually and announced that UMNO would officially withdraw support for PM Muhyiddin with immediate effect. On July 10 and July 14, UMNO's vice-president and newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and 9 Cabinet UMNO members agreed to support Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.
State of Emergency
Jan 12, 2021
State of Emergency declared by the King on the advice of Prime Minister Muhyiddin, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability as reasons. This suspends Parliament and is met with criticism and claims of it being a move to maintain political power as no snap elections can occur during the State of Emergency.
New Prime Minister
Mar 1, 2020
Muhyiddin Yassin (BERSATU) is sworn in as Prime Minister after being appointed by the King, asserting that he has the majority support in Parliament, forming a government under the newly formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
BERSATU left PH
Feb 24, 2020
BERSATU, which had 26 MPs, withdrew from the ruling PH coalition, causing PH to lose majority in the House of Representatives.
Resignation of Mahathir Mohamad
Feb 24, 2020
Mahathir Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister, creating a power vacuum and political uncertainty.
Sheraton Move
Feb 23, 2020
A significant political maneuver occurs when members of PH and the opposition meet at the Sheraton Hotel, leading to a realignment that undermines the PH government.
2018 General Election
May 9, 2018
Pakatan Harapan (PH), led by the 4th Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad (BERSATU), wins the general election, ousting the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition headed by Najib Razak (Malaysian 6th Prime Minister). This marks the first change of government since Malaysia's independence.
Political Parties & Coalition
Under the current Malaysian legislation, all political parties (termed "Political Associations") must be registered under the Societies Act.
Political Coalitions
There are multiple political coalitions in Malaysia and they change quite often especially after the 2018 General Election and 2020 - 2022 Political Crisis.
The following list contains the detail on the four major political coalitions for the 2022 General Election
PH
Pakatan Harapan (The Alliance of Hope) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been part of a "Unity Government" since the 2022 Malaysian general election.
PN
Perikatan Nasional (The National Alliance) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre to far-right political parties which was formed early in the 2020 Malaysian political crisis with the intention to replace the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. PN is currently the Opposition.
BN
Barisan Nasional (The National Front) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre right to right political parties which was formed founded in 1973 to succeed the Alliance Party. It has been part of a "Unity Government" since the 2022 Malaysian general election.
GPS
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (The Sarawak Parties Alliance) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre right to right political parties which was formed in 2018. It has been part of a "Unity Government" since the 2022 Malaysian general election.
Others
There are some minor political alliances during the 2022 Malaysian general election. Some of these alliances joined the "Unity Government" after the election, while others joined the Opposition.
Political Parties
The following lists of political parties are non exhaustive. Only parties that won seats in the 15th General Election are included.
Note: MUDA had an electoral pact with PH during the election, but decided to join the Opposition after the election. Thus, it is categorized as Others
- Show All
- PH
- PN
- BN
- GPS
- Others
- Hide All
DAP
Democratic Action Party
- Ideology
- Social democracy
- Social liberalism
- Multiracialism
- Secularism
Political position
Centre-left
PAS
Malaysian Islamic Party
- Ideology
- Islamism/Islamic Fundamentalist
- Islamic Nationalism
- Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy)
- Anti-[imperialism/communism]
- Anti-Zionism
Political position
Far-right
UMNO
United Malays National Organisation
- Ideology
- Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy)
- Malay Nationalism
- National Conservatism
- Social Conservatism
Political position
Right
PKR
People's Justice Party
- Ideology
- Liberal democracy
- Multiculturalism
- Social liberalism
Political position
Center-left
PBB
United Bumiputera Heritage Party
- Ideology
- Sarawak nationalism/Regionalism
- Bumiputera interests
- National conservatism
- Civic nationalism
- Multiculturalism
Political position
Right
PRS
Sarawak Peoples' Party
- Ideology
- Nationalism
- Self determination
- Multiculturalism
- National reformism
Political position
Not Available
AMANAH
National Trust Party
- Ideology
- Social justice
- Progressivism
- Islamic modernism
- Islamic democracy
Political position
Center-left
BERSATU
Malaysian United Indigenous Party
- Ideology
- Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy)
- Social convervatism
- Islamic democracy
Political position
Center-right to far-right
BEBAS
Indepent
- Ideology
- Varies
Political position
Varies
MCA
Malaysian Chinese Association
- Ideology
- Malaysian Chinese interests
- Social conservatism
- Tridemism
Political position
Center-right
MIC
Malaysian Indian Congress
- Ideology
- Malaysian Indian interests
- Social conservatism
- Dravidian movement
Political position
Not Available
PBRS
United Sabah People's Party
- Ideology
- Nationalismt
Political position
Right
STAR
Homeland Solidarity Party
- Ideology
- Sabah regionalism
Political position
Not Available
KDM
Social Democratic Harmony Party
- Ideology
- Sabah regionalism
- Multiculturalism
- Indigenous rights
Political position
Not Available
PBS
United Sabah Party
- Ideology
- Sabah nationalism/Regionalism
- Indigenous rights
- 20-point agreement
- Multiracialism
- Social conservatism
Political position
Right
SUPP
Sarawak United Peoples' Party
- Ideology
- Sarawak nationalism/Regionalism
Political position
Center to center-right
PBM
Malaysian Nation Party
- Ideology
- Multiculturalism
- Civic nationalism
Political position
Center-right
PDP
Progressive Democratic Party
- Ideology
- Regionalism
Political position
Not Available
GRS
Sabah People's Alliance
- Ideology
- Sabah nationalism/Regionalism
- Bumiputera interests
- 20-point agreement
- Multiracialism
Political position
Center-right to Right
WARISAN
Heritage Party
- Ideology
- Progressivism
- Multiracialism
- Nationalism
Political position
Center
UPKO
United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation
- Ideology
- Regionalism
- Multiracialism
Political position
Not Available
MUDA
Malaysian United Democratic Alliance
- Ideology
- Youth politics
- Multiracialism
- Secularism
Political position
Center-left
Running Candidates
The 15th Malaysian General Election has the following:
Candidates
Constituency Seats
Major Political Alliances
The candidates for the 15th Malaysian General Election has the following demographic information:
Gender
MaleFemale
Ethnicity
Malay (719 Candidates)Chinese (170 Candidates)
Indian (52 Candidates)
Others (4 Candidates)
Age
Age by Political Party
Age by Constituency Seats
All Candidates Info
Networks
The center is the name of the political party and the nodes are candidates' names. You can use your touchpad or scroll wheel to zoom in/out.
Census
As a politician, especially a candidate running for election, it is important to know the area and
the
people one
serves. Even within the same state, different areas have different needs, income levels, and
problems that
must be
addressed by elected representatives.
Therefore, the following census data is crucial for candidates running in the election, and for
readers of this report
to understand the rationale behind a party or coalition's decision to compete for a Constituency seat, or to
nominate a
specific candidate, especially when Malaysian voters remain divided along ethnic lines.
For example, if the majority of voters in Area A are of XYZ ethnicity, it would be beneficial for a
party to nominate a
local candidate who is also of XYZ ethnicity.
All Malaysians are categorized into three different income groups: the Top 20% (T20), Middle 40%
(M40), and Bottom 40% (B40). The classification threshold is based on the Malaysian Department of
Statistics' (DOSM) Household Income and Basic Amenities (HIS/BA) survey. Since the data used was the 2020
census data, I used DOSM's 2019 threshold to define the income groups, where B40 is less
than RM 4850, M40
is RM 4850 - RM 10959, and T20 is RM 10960 and more.
For the Bumiputera Population, I categorized this variable into 4 groups: Small, Medium, Large, and
Extra-Large. In this dataset, Bumiputera includes the Malays, the Orang Asli of Peninsular
Malaysia, and
various indigenous peoples of East Malaysia as defined by the National Registration Department of
Malaysia.
Small is proportion less than 50%; Medium is between 50% to 65%
(inclusive); Large is between 65% to 90%
(inclusive); and Extra-Large is greater than 90%.
Manifestos
During the campaign period, political parties or coalitions will come up with
various manifestos and
slogans to gain support from the voters. The 15th General Election was the first in which
18–20-year-olds
were eligible to vote, following a constitutional amendment reducing the voting age from 21 to 18.
Additionally, all voters were automatically registered, so the electorate expanded by around six
million
people or 31%.
The following are the manifesto themes for the four political coalitions introduced in this
report.
Kestabilan Dan Kemakmuran
(Stability and Prosperity)
Barisan Nasional (BN)
Kita Boleh!
(We Can!)
Pakatan Harapan (PH)
Prihatin, Bersih, Stabil
(Concern, Clean, Stable)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
Menjamin Sarawak Stabil, Maju, Makmur
(Ensuring Sarawak’s Stability, Progress and Prosperity)
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)
Results
In the general election, no individual alliance won the required 112 seats needed for a majority in the
Dewan Rakyat to
form the next government. On 22 November, days after the election, none of the coalition leaders were able
to get a simple majority of 112 seats, so the King summoned Anwar Ibrahim (PH's leader) and Muhyiddin Yassin
(PN's leader) to meet him. The King proposed a unity government, but PN rejected the idea of working with
PH.
On 23 November, the King met with BN and GPS leaders in the royal palace. The next day, UMNO's supreme
council agreed to follow the wishes of the King for BN to join a unity government, but the condition is that
the unity government must not be led by PN. DAP politicians of the PH coalition apologized publicly to the
Sarawak government and Sarawak people over past misunderstandings and called for a fresh start to cooperate
together. Later on 24 November, the Royal Palace announced that PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim was appointed as
Prime Minister by the King as Anwar has received support from MPs from PH, BN, GPS, Warisan, MUDA and PBM,
as well as independent MPs.
On 25 November, GRS had joined the unity government, supporting Anwar; this resulted in Anwar becoming the
first prime minister since 2008 to have two-thirds majority support in Parliament. Muhyiddin congratulated
and thanked Anwar for inviting PN to join the unity government, and declined Anwar's invitation, stating
that PN would play the role of a "credible opposition" to ensure "corruption-free governance".
Move your mouse over the cards to flip them and see the statistics:
ETHNICITY
NEW MP
GENDER
ALLIANCES
For detailed results, refer to the Tableau Dashboard:
References
Recognition
I extend my heartfelt thanks to Thevesh
Theva for the comprehensive data he shared on GitHub and the invaluable advice he provided to enhance my understanding
of the election data. His contributions have been pivotal in enriching this report.
I also acknowledge and appreciate the stunning photograph by Esmonde
Yong on Unsplash
which beautifully captures the essence of this discussion.
Lastly, I am grateful for the template provided by BootstrapMade,
which has helped shape the presentation of this report. Their support has greatly facilitated the creation
of this document.