Malaysian general election, 1978
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Malaysia on 8 July 1978. It was Hussein Onn
's first election since he became the country's third Prime Minister
. His Barisan Nasional
Party emerged victorious with 131 of the 154 seats in Parliament. Voter turnout was 75.3%.
and thus, gave the Prime Minister the power to form a government with a free hand. Out of 154 seats in the Dewan Rakyat
, Despite the victory, BN actually lost four seats to the opposition, attributed to PAS' decision to opt out of UMNO; UMNO was and still is one of the major component parties within BN.
Berjasa had previous controlled the state of Kelantan
. Its separation out of UMNO cost it the control of Kelantan to its former ally. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
has been credited for UMNO's victory in Kelantan.
The opposition garnered 42.8% of total votes. In spite of that, the opposition as one won only 23 seats. Democratic Action Party
won the largest slice of the pie among the opposition parties and hence, its leader Lim Kit Siang retained his position as the leader of the opposition that he had obtained four years earlier.
Hussein Onn
Tun Hussein bin Dato' Onn who is of 3/4 Malay and 1/4 Circassian ancestry was the third Prime Minister of Malaysia, ruling from 1976 to 1981. He was granted the soubriquet Bapa Perpaduan...
's first election since he became the country's third Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
. His Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
Party emerged victorious with 131 of the 154 seats in Parliament. Voter turnout was 75.3%.
Results
As expected, Barisan Nasional comfortably maintained its majority in the Malaysian ParliamentParliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
and thus, gave the Prime Minister the power to form a government with a free hand. Out of 154 seats in the Dewan Rakyat
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
, Despite the victory, BN actually lost four seats to the opposition, attributed to PAS' decision to opt out of UMNO; UMNO was and still is one of the major component parties within BN.
Berjasa had previous controlled the state of Kelantan
Kelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
. Its separation out of UMNO cost it the control of Kelantan to its former ally. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh bin Tengku Mohd Hamzah is a major Malaysian political figure from the state of Kelantan, and a former Finance Minister. He is an uncle of the current Raja Perempuan of Kelantan. Tengku is a Malay hereditary title usually translated as prince...
has been credited for UMNO's victory in Kelantan.
The opposition garnered 42.8% of total votes. In spite of that, the opposition as one won only 23 seats. Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
won the largest slice of the pie among the opposition parties and hence, its leader Lim Kit Siang retained his position as the leader of the opposition that he had obtained four years earlier.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence... |
1,987,907 | 57.2 | 131 | |
| Democratic Action Party Democratic Action Party The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties... |
664,433 | 19.1 | 16 | |
| Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party | 537,720 | 15.5 | 5 | New |
| Sarawak People's Organisation | 10,151 | 0.3 | 1 | New |
| Other parties | 112,850 | 3.2 | 0 | |
| Independents | 160,370 | 4.6 | 1 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 123,302 | |||
| Total | 3,596,732 | 100 | 154 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||