Together in new coalition

The only seat ever won by a Singapore party in Malaysia

UNDER Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, various national-level experiments on social and economic re-engineering were carried out to redress imbalances.

To minimise race politics, the Government created a multi-party alliance in 1974 called Barisan Nasional using the dacing (weighing scale) symbol instead of the Alliance’s kapal layar (sailboat).

Barisan comprised Umno, MCA, MIC, PAS, PPP, Gerakan, Sarawak United People’s Party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera, and Sabah Alliance Party.

Only DAP and Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaya refused to join the coalition.

This was also the year when Malaysia formally established diplomatic ties with China.

Some observers say that Razak capitalised on this to convince the Chinese community to vote for Barisan.

The Opposition parties lost Chinese votes with the distribution of pictures of Razak shaking hands with China’s Chairman Mao Zedong that were torn up by opponents.

Public rallies were still the order of the day.

Mud-slinging was also common as political parties sought to gain support by running down their opponents and drawing attention to their shortcomings. However, discussion People’s Action Party, C.V Devan Nair defeated SingaporeTrades Union Congress secretary-general V. David (Socialist Front) in Bungsar (now Bangsar) with an 800-vote majority, in 1964. With 58,000 voters, it was then the largest parliamentary constituency in Malaysia. on racial matters was limited because of the sedition laws.

At the time, the election campaign had to be a minimum of two weeks.

After the landslide victory, in which over 50 opposition candidates lost their deposits, Razak announced the first Barisan Cabinet of 21 members.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had been in the political wilderness after having been expelled from Umno was later invited back into the party, re-elected to Parliament and appointed Education Minister.

In 1976, a 22-year-old Najib Tun Razak won the Pekan parliamentary seat in Pahang uncontested, following his father’s death.

Tun Hussein Onn became the nation’s third Prime Minister.