MALAYSIA: PEACEFUL CAMPAIGN LEADS UP TO PREDICTED LANDSLIDE FOR GOVERNMENT COALITION IN SATURDAY'S GENERAL ELECTION.

Record ID: 347334

  • Title: MALAYSIA: PEACEFUL CAMPAIGN LEADS UP TO PREDICTED LANDSLIDE FOR GOVERNMENT COALITION IN SATURDAY'S GENERAL ELECTION.
  • Date: 22nd August 1974
  • Summary: 1. GV Pekemas Party supporters with flags. (2 shots) 0.08 2. GV DAP car with placard in street. 0.19 3. CU AND GV Pekemas Party posters being pasted on wall. (3 shots) 0.30 4. GV National Front headquarters, with banners outside. (2 shots) 0.40 5. GV National Front car passes. 0.45 6. GV Posters on sticks, and others being nailed t
  • Embargoed: 6th September 1974 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Reuters ID: LVAE4YGEWGK3D0O9AVOOO1YGN138
  • Story Text: Malaysians go to the polls on Saturday (24 August) to elect a new national Government - but already, one third of the 154 Parliamentary seats have been decided.

    The ruling National Front coalition of Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak won 47 seats by default on Nomination Day, and seems set for a landslide victory. The Front needs only 31 of the 107 Parliamentary seats to be contested on Saturday to win a new five-year mandate.

    Among those already assured of a seat in the new Parliament are the Prime Minister, his deputy and almost half the outgoing Cabinet.

    More than four million people, or about 30 per cent of the country's multi-racial population are eligible to vote. The short campaign has been peaceful in marked contrast to the last in 1969, which ended in racial riots. After that, the Government tightened election laws, prohibiting the discussion of issues which could lead to racial unrest. This led to the peaceful 1974 campaign.

    The country's Election Commission will use buses, boats, helicopters and chartered aircraft, along with a staff of 40,000, to ensure efficient polling and vote counting. In some remote areas, mobile polling booths will be used to speed up the voting procedure.

    SYNOPSIS: In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, the final days of the campaign for Saturday's General Election have been peaceful - in marked contrast to the May, nineteen sixty-nine campaign, which was disrupted by racial riots. the change of pace is the result of Government action, to prevent discussion of racially sensitive issues.

    One of the two main opposition parties is Pekemas. The other is the democratic Action Party. both their campaigns have been subdued - largely because of the Government decree.

    The ruling National Front coalition, led by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, is tipped to win the election in a landslide. And the Front is already off to a promising start.

    They've already won - by default - one-third of the one hundred and fifty-four Parliamentary seats. Among those re-elected unopposed were the Prime Ministers his deputy and almost half his Cabinet.

    The country's Election Commission has been planning the polling operation for some time. It plans to use buses, boats, helicopters and chartered aircraft, along with a staff of forty thousand, to ensure efficient voting and counting. In the cities, conventional polling booths will be used, but in outlying areas, mobile units go to the people enabling as many as possible to vote.

    The National Front coalition is a group of nine parties, headed by the dominans United Malay National Organisation. It needs only thirty-one of the one hundred and seven seats contested on Saturday to win a fresh five-year mandate.
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