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1969 Sarawak state election

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1969 Sarawak state election

← 1963 10 May 1969 – 7 June 1969 (suspended due to 13 May incident)
6 June 1970 – 4 July 1970
1974 →

All 48 seats in the Council Negri
25 seats needed for a majority
Registered332,373
Turnout265,898 (80%)
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Abdul Rahman Ya'kub Ong Kee Hui Stephen Kalong Ningkan
Party Alliance SUPP SNAP
Leader since unknown 1959 1961
Leader's seat Kuala Rajang not contesting Layar
Last election N/A N/A N/A
Seats before N/A N/A N/A
Seats won 15 12 12
Seat change
Popular vote 63,668 72,178 61,241
Percentage 25.4% 28.8% 24.4%
Swing

Chief Minister before election

Tawi Sli
Alliance

Subsequent chief minister

Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
Alliance

The first Sarawak state election was held from Saturday, 10 May 1969 and scheduled to be completed on Saturday, 7 June 1969 which lasted for 4 weeks and was carried out in staggered basis. This was due to the lack of transportation and communication systems in the state at that time. The state election was held at the same time as the 1969 general election. The Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament and all the state assemblies were dissolved on 20 March 1969, except for Kelantan (which dissolved later on 31 March) and Sabah (which were not up for election as it had held its state election in 1967). The nomination date was set on Saturday, 5 April 1969. However, because of the riot occurred during 13 May incident and the declaration of emergency and the promulgation of Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No. 1 of 1969 on 15 May 1969, all the ongoing polls were suspended until 1970. During when the suspension was enforced, polling in 9 out of 48 constituencies in Sarawak had started. None of the elections in Sarawak was completed at that time.[1]

Background

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General Election Regulation Commission Office workers during 1969 Sarawak parliamentary and state elections.
Media personnel during briefings in 1969 Sarawak parliamentary and state elections.

Prior to 1969 election, a political party was suspended from contesting in general election. The political party later mounted a public campaign calling the voters to boycott the election. The Sarawak parliamentary and state election was resumed from Saturday, 6 June 1970 to Saturday, 4 July 1970. During the resumption of the election, there was a tragedy in Sarikei in the third division of Sarawak on 29 June 1970. The communist terrorists had killed three election officials on their return journey after completing polling at a station. There was also an incident where a land mine was exploded outside the polling station in the same division.[1]

This election saw 332,373 eligible voters after the first registration in Sarawak.[1] Of these eligible voters, 26% were the Malays, 28 were the Chinese, and 46 percent were from Dayaks.[2] The turn up rate of voters was 80.0%, which was considered high as compared to other states in Malaysia. A total of 221 candidates were contesting for 48 state seats in Sarawak. The breakdown of number of seats were:[1]

There were 66 independent candidates vying for the seats.[1]

Results

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Summary

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As a result of Parti Bumiputera-SCA alliance, SCA received majority of its votes from Malay voters. Meanwhile, Dayak parties (SNAP and PESAKA) only attracted 37.6% of the vote although the Dayak people made up of 46% of the electorate.[2]

Party or allianceVotes%Seats
Sarawak United Peoples' Party72,17828.8312
Sarawak AllianceParti Bumiputera Sarawak32,39012.9411
Sarawak Chinese Association31,27812.494
Total63,66825.4315
Sarawak National Party61,24124.4612
Parti Pesaka Sarawak34,28113.698
Independents18,9877.581
Total250,355100.0048
Valid votes250,35594.04
Invalid/blank votes15,8705.96
Total votes266,225100.00
Registered voters/turnout332,73780.01
Source: Almanak Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum: Parlimen & Dewan Undangan Negeri (1959-1999)[3]

Results by constituency

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The full list of representatives is shown below:[1]

No. State Constituency Elected Council Negri Members Elected Party
Alliance 15 | SNAP 12 | SUPP 12 | Pesaka 8 | IND 1
S01 Lundu Chong Kim Mook SUPP
S02 Bau Ong Ah Khim SUPP
S03 Kuching Barat Cheng Yew Kiew Alliance
S04 Kuching Timor Stephen K.T. Yong SUPP
S05 Semariang Ajibah Abol Alliance
S06 Sekama Sim Kheng Hong SUPP
S07 Sebandi Ikhwan bin Abang Haji Zainei Alliance
S08 Muara Tuang Mohamad Musa Alliance
S09 Batu Kawah Chong Kiun Kong SUPP
S10 Bengoh Segus Anak Ginyai SUPP
S11 Tarat Nelson Kundai Ngareng SNAP
S12 Tebakang Michael Ben Ak Panggi SNAP
S13 Semera Lee Thiam Kee(Puteh) Alliance
S14 Gedong Abang Haji Abdul Rahim Alliance
S15 Lingga-Sebuyau Dato' Penghulu Tawi Sli Pesaka
S16 Simanggang Nelson Liap Kudu SNAP
S17 Engkilili-Skrang Simon Dembab Maja Pesaka
S18 Ulu Ai David Anak Jemut SNAP
S19 Saribas Kihok bin Amat Alliance
S20 Layar Dato' Stephen Kalong Ningkan SNAP
S21 Kalaka Wan Alwi bin Tuanku Ibrahim Pesaka
S22 Krian Dunstan Endawie Enchana SNAP
S23 Kuala Rajang Dato' Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'kub Alliance
S24 Repok Khoo Peng Loong SUPP
S25 Matu-Daro Awang Hipni bin Pengiran Anu Alliance
S26 Binatang Anthony Teo Tiao Gin SUPP
S27 Sibu Tengah Chew Kim Poon SUPP
S28 Sibu Luar Wong Kah Sing SUPP
S29 Igan Ling Beng Siong Alliance
S30 Dudong Kong Chung Siew SUPP
S31 Balingian Mohd. Pauzi bin Hamdani Alliance
S32 Oya Vincent Ferrer Suyong Alliance
S33 Pakan Mandi Anak Sanar Pesaka
S34 Meluan Gramong Anak Jelian SNAP
S35 Machan Thomas Kana Pesaka
S36 Ngemah Lias Anak Kana IND
S37 Song Ngelambong Bangau SNAP
S38 Pelagus Bennet Jarrow Pesaka
S39 Baleh Kenyan Anak Temenggong Koh Pesaka
S40 Belaga Nyipa Kilah SUPP
S41 Tatau Awang Ismail bin Pg. Zainuddin Alliance
S42 Kemana Ahok Anak Jalin Pesaka
S43 Subis Francis Loke SNAP
S44 Miri Chia Chin Shin Alliance
S45 Marudi Edward Jeli Anak Blayong SNAP
S46 Telang Usan Balan Seling SNAP
S47 Limbang Dato' James Wong Kim Min SNAP
S48 Lawas Awang Daud bin Awang Metusin Alliance

Aftermath

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The prime minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak invited SUPP to join the Sarawak Alliance a month before the election to form a coalition government as SNAP previously did not have a good relationship with the federal government. SUPP eventually followed the federal preferences to form a coalition government with Parti Bumiputera. This enables the coalition to secure a total of 27 out of 48 seats in the Sarawak Council Negri (now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly). SUPP joined the coalition government as an equal partner with Parti Bumiputera, where both parties signed a letter of understanding on the composition of the new Sarawak government cabinet. Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (Parti Bumiputera) was nominated as chief minister with Stephen Yong (SUPP) and Simon Demak Maja (PESAKA) as deputy chief ministers. SCA was excluded from the Sarawak cabinet positions after the elections.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Report on the parliamentary (Dewan Rakyat) and state legislative assembly general elections 1969 of the states of Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak (Malay-English bilingual version). Election Commission of Malaysia. URL accessed on 19 November 2009
  2. ^ a b Milne, R. S.; Ratnam, K. J. (1972). "The Sarawak Elections of 1970: An Analysis of the Vote". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 3 (1): 111–122. ISSN 0022-4634.
  3. ^ Almanak Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum: Parlimen & Dewan Undangan Negeri (1959-1999). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Anzagain. pp. 1073–1082. ISBN 983-037-152-2.
  4. ^ Porritt, Vernon L (2004). "Turbulent times in Sarawak: the end of expatriate influence and the struggle for power over and within the state". Borneo Research Bulletin. Retrieved 26 February 2023.