Malaysian general election, 2004

Malaysian general election, 2004

21 March 2004

All 219 seats to the Dewan Rakyat 110 seats needed for a majority Registered 9,756,097 Turnout 6,916,138 (73.9%)   First party Second party Third party   Leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Kamarudin Jaffar Lim Kit Siang Party Barisan Nasional Barisan Alternatif DAP Leader since 31 October 2003 2003 21 September 2001 Leader's seat Kepala Batas Tumpat Ipoh Timor Last election 148 seats, 56.5% 42 seats, 40.2%[1] 10 seats, 12.5% Seats won 198 8 12 Seat change 50 34 2 Popular vote 4,420,452 1,668,998 687,340 Percentage 63.9% 24.1% 9.9% Swing 7.4% 16.1% 2.6%

Prime Minister before election Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Barisan Nasional Prime Minister-designate Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Barisan Nasional

A general election was held on Sunday, 21 March 2004 for members of the 11th Parliament of Malaysia. Voting took place in all 219 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 505 state constituencies in 12 out of 13 states of Malaysia (except Sarawak) on the same day.

Election results

The National Front gained a popular vote of 63.9%, but would have gained a higher vote had all seats been contested. Reports in the Malaysian media on show of March 23rd the Front winning 198 parliamentary seats to the combined opposition parties' 20 seats, with one independent. This is the largest majority that National Front has won since the 1978 elections.

The dominant party in the National Front, the Prime Minister's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), won 109 seats, a gain of 32. UMNO's allies also gained seats. The Malaysian Chinese Association won 31 seats, a gain of two, and the Malaysian Indian Congress won nine seats, a gain of two.

Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) managed to retain only seven of its 27 seats. PAS ran on a platform promising an Islamic nation. The PAS opposition leader, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, lost his parliamentary seat.

Another opposition party, the People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional) lost four of its five seats. After five recounts the party's leader, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (the wife of imprisoned former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), retained her seat with a majority of 590 votes.

The third opposition party, the Democratic Action Party, which was routed in the 1999 elections, improved its performance with the re-election of party chairman Lim Kit Siang and his deputy, Karpal Singh. The DAP won 12 seats and regained the official leadership of the opposition in the national parliament from PAS.

Most candidates who campaigned on platforms of Islamic issues lost their seats. This is a significant turnaround since the last election where, generally, the more "Islamic" candidates had a greater chance of winning in the Malay heartland.

Results

Dewan Rakyat

 Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results

Party				Vote		Seats
				Votes	%	Won	%	+/–
	National Front[lower-alpha 1]		BN	4,454,215	63.85	198	90.41	50
		United Malays National Organisation	UMNO	2,489,532	35.69	109	49.77	37
		Malaysian Chinese Association	MCA	1,074,291	15.40	31	14.16	2
		Malaysian People's Movement Party	Gerakan	257,663	3.69	10	4.57	4
		Malaysian Indian Congress	MIC	221,546	3.18	9	4.11	2
		Sarawak United People's Party	SUPP	101,869	1.46	6	2.74	1
		United Traditional Bumiputera Party	PBB	80,408	1.15	11	5.02
		United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation	UPKO	55,117	0.79	4	1.83	1
		Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party	SPDP	50,350	0.72	4	1.83	New
		Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak	PBDS	46,292	0.66	6	2.74
		United Sabah Party	PBS	26,504	0.38	4	1.83	1
		People's Progressive Party	PPP	20,129	0.29	1	0.46	1
		Sabah Progressive Party	SAPP	16,426	0.24	2	0.91
		Liberal Democratic Party	LDP	8,208	0.12	0	0.00	1
		United Sabah People's Party	PBRS	5,880	0.08	1	0.46	1
	Parties in the informal coalition, Alternative Front		BA	1,672,350	23.97	8	3.65	34
	Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party[lower-alpha 2]		PAS	1,069,569	15.33	7	3.20	20
	Democratic Action Party		DAP	702,243	10.07	12	5.48	2
	People's Justice Party[lower-alpha 2]		PKR	602,781	8.64	1	0.46	4
	Sarawak National Party		SNAP	28,579	0.41	0	0.00	4
	State Reform Party		STAR	6,270	0.09	0	0.00
	United Democratic Sabah People's Power Party		SETIA	2,143	0.03	0	0.00	New
	Malaysian Democratic Party		MDP	1,107	0.02	0	0.00
	United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation		PASOK	543	0.00	0	0.00	New
	Independents		IND	108,096	1.55	1	0.46	1
Valid votes				6,975,546
Invalid/blank votes				293,810
Total votes (voter turnout: 73.9%)				7,269,356	100.00	219	100.00	+26
Did not vote				2,486,741
Registered voters				9,756,097
Voting age population (aged 21 years and above)				13,802,493
Malaysian population				23,092,940
Source: Nohlen et al.

1. Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.
2. Parties in the informal coalition, Alternatif Front (Barisan Alternatif). Contested using separate election symbol on the ballot papers.

Results by state

Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results by state

Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Perlis Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 3 58,188 63.72 3 100.00 0 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 3 58,188 63.72 3 100.00 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 3 33,132 36.28 0 0.00 0 Valid votes 91,320 Invalid/blank votes 2,290 Total votes (voter turnout: %) 93,610 100.00 3 100.00 0 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Perlis's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Kedah Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 15 388,943 59.76 14 93.33 +7 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 13 334,295 51.36 12 80.00 +7 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 2 54,648 8.40 2 13.33 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 10 184,850 28.40 1 6.67 -7 People's Justice Party PKR 5 77,102 11.85 0 0.00 0 Valid votes 650,895 Invalid/blank votes 14,802 Total votes (voter turnout: 81.00%) 665,697 100.00 15 100.00 0 Did not vote 156,195 Registered voters 821,892 Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Kedah's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Kelantan Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 14 260,524 49.96 8 57.14 +7 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 14 260,524 49.96 8 57.14 +7 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 11 201,955 38.73 6 42.86 -4 People's Justice Party PKR 3 52,824 10.13 0 0.00 -3 Independents IND 1 6,198 1.19 0 0.00 0 Valid votes 521,501 Invalid/blank votes 13,562 Total votes (voter turnout: 80.74%) 535,063 100.00 14 100.00 0 Did not vote 127,650 Registered voters 662,713 Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Kelantan's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Terengganu Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 8 221,328 56.46 8 100.00 +8 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 8 221,328 56.46 8 100.00 +8 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 7 150,057 38.28 0 0.00 -7 People's Justice Party PKR 1 20,635 5.26 0 0.00 -1 Valid votes 392,020 Invalid/blank votes 8,874 Total votes (voter turnout: 87.93%) 400,894 100.00 8 100.00 0 Did not vote 55,029 Registered voters 455,923 Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Terengganu's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Penang Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 13 284,110 56.85 8 61.54 +2 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 5 108,498 21.71 4 30.77 +1 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 4 87,822 17.57 1 7.69 0 Malaysian People's Movement Party Gerakan 4 87,790 17.57 3 23.08 +1 Democratic Action Party DAP 7 135,125 27.04 4 30.77 0 People's Justice Party PKR 5 61,410 12.29 1 7.69 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 2 19,109 3.82 0 0.00 0 Valid votes 499,754 Invalid/blank votes 11,540 Total votes (voter turnout: 76.05%) 511,294 100.00 13 100.00 +2 Did not vote 161,058 Registered voters 672,352 Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Penang's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Perak Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 24 21 87.50 +1 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 11 45.83 +2 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 4 16.67 -2 Malaysian People's Movement Party Gerakan 3 12.50 0 Malaysian Indian Congress MIC 2 8.33 0 People's Progressive Party PPP 1 4.17 +1 Democratic Action Party DAP 3 12.50 +2 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 -2 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 24 100.00 +1 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Perak's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Pahang Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 14 14 100.00 +3 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 10 10 71.43 +2 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 3 3 21.43 0 Malaysian Indian Congress MIC 1 1 7.14 New Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 0 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 14 100.00 +3 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Pahang's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Selangor Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 22 22 100.00 +5 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 10 10 45.45 +2 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 7 7 31.82 +1 Malaysian Indian Congress MIC 4 4 18.18 +1 Malaysian People's Movement Party Gerakan 1 1 4.55 +1 Democratic Action Party DAP 0 0.00 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 0 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 22 100.00 +5 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Selangor's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers. Template:Malaysian general election, 2004 (Kuala Lumpur) Template:Malaysian general election, 2004 (Putrajaya)  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Negeri Sembilan Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 8 8 100.00 +1 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 5 5 62.50 +1 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 2 2 25.00 0 Malaysian Indian Congress MIC 1 1 12.50 0 Democratic Action Party DAP 0 0.00 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 0 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 8 100.00 +1 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Negeri Sembilan's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Malacca Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 6 6 100.00 +2 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 4 4 66.67 +1 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 2 2 33.33 +1 Democratic Action Party DAP 0 0.00 -1 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 0 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 6 100.00 +1 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Malacca's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Johor Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 26 26 100.00 +6 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 16 16 61.54 +3 Malaysian Chinese Association MCA 8 8 30.77 +2 Malaysian Indian Congress MIC 1 1 3.85 0 Malaysian People's Movement Party Gerakan 1 1 3.85 New Democratic Action Party DAP 0 0.00 0 Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS 0 0.00 0 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 26 100.00 +6 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Johor's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers. Template:Malaysian general election, 2004 (Labuan)  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Sabah Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 25 24 96.00 +7 United Malays National Organisation UMNO 13 52.00 -1 United Sabah Party PBS 4 16.00 +1 United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation UPKO 4 16.00 New Sabah Progressive Party SAPP 2 8.00 0 United Sabah People's Party PBRS 1 4.00 New Liberal Democratic Party LDP 0 0.00 -1 Independents IND 1 4.00 +1 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 25 100.00 +5 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Sabah's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.  Summary of the 21 March 2004 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results in Sarawak Party Candidates Vote Seats Votes % Won % +/– National Front[lower-alpha 1] BN 28 27 96.43 -1 United Traditional Bumiputera Party PBB 11 11 39.29 0 Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak PBDS 6 6 21.43 0 Sarawak United People's Party SUPP 7 6 21.43 -1 Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party SPDP 4 4 14.29 New Democratic Action Party DAP 1 3.57 +1 Valid votes Invalid/blank votes Total votes (voter turnout: %) ' 100.00 28 100.00 0 Did not vote Registered voters ' Voting age population (aged 21 years and above) ' Sarawak's population ' Source: Contested using dacing election symbol on the ballot papers.

State Assemblies

Elections for the assemblies of all the Malaysian states except Sarawak were also held on 21 March. The National Front and its allies won majorities in all states except Kelantan where, despite earlier reports to the contrary, PAS retained control with a narrow majority of 24 seats to BN's 21 seats. The National Front regained control of the state of Terengganu, which it lost to PAS in 1999. The PAS opposition leader, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who lost his parliamentary seat as mentioned earlier, managed to retain his state seat.

Background

On 2 March, the 10th national parliament and all state assemblies in Malaysia (with the exception of Sarawak) were dissolved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong upon the advice of the Prime Minister. Sarawak's last state election was held in 2001, and elections for the state assembly are not due till 2006.

The election was held nine months earlier than required by the constitution. The constitution allows that parliament has a mandate of 5 years. Elections are required to be called three months after parliament is dissolved. The government had until the end of November 2004 to call elections.

Candidates nominated on 13 March, with the National Front winning 15 seats uncontested, and another two seats after the opposing candidates withdrew. The right to withdraw was only introduced as a new rule at these elections. Under this rule candidates are allowed a three-day period to withdraw following nomination day. Of the 17 parliamentary seats won uncontested, nine were in the state of Sabah, six in Sarawak and two in Johor.

PAS won a state assembly seat in Johor for the first time, after the National Front candidate was disqualified because she was seconded by someone who was not a registered voter in the constituency which she wanted to contest. The requirement that the seconder be registered in the same constituency was only introduced in 2004.

Election irregularities

The elections were marred by discrepancies, which were admitted by the electoral authorities. The head of the Election Commission (Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman) made the statement "I have been in this line for so long... it should not have happened at all. There must be reasons why this happened." He has served in the election commission for the last five elections, and has stated that he intends to resign if a report on the discrepancies implicates him in the foul-ups.

Among the discrepancies were wrongly printed ballots, registered voters being unable to vote and wide discrepancies in votes in various seats upon re-counting the ballots.

In the seat of Sungai Lembing (Pahang), the Keadilan symbol was printed wrongly on the ballot paper for PAS candidate Idris Ahmad. Illiterate voters tend to rely on familiar party symbols for voting purposes as they are unable to read the candidate's names on the ballot. Voting was suspended for 5 hours before resuming. Polling was re-held for the seat on 28 March.^[2]

Further reading

• Lim, Hong-Hai; Ong, Kiang-Min (2006). The 2004 General Election and the Electoral Process in Malaysia. Between Consolidation and Crisis: Elections and Democracy in Five Nations in Southeast Asia. Berlin: Lit. pp. 147–214.

References

1. 32 seats at dissolution
2. "Sg Lembing: Re-vote on March 28 after logo debacle", Malaysiakini

External links

• The (Malaysian) Star Online
• ChannelNewsAsia
• Bernama
• Election Commission Malaysia (SPR) (Malay)
• Results from the SPR (Malay)