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Barisan Nasional

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National Front
Barisan Nasional
باريسن ناسيونل
国民阵线
பாரிசான் நேசனல்
AbbreviationBN
ChairmanNajib Razak
Secretary-GeneralTengku Adnan Tengku Mansor
Deputy ChairmanAhmad Zahid Hamidi
Vice Chairmen
(Supreme Council)		Liow Tiong Lai
Subramaniam Sathasivam
Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg
Sim Kui Hian
Mah Siew Keong
Joseph Kurup
Joseph Pairin Kitingan
Tiong King Sing
James Jemut Masing
FounderAbdul Razak Hussein
Founded1 January 1973[1]
Legalised1 June 1974 (as a party)
Preceded byAlliance
HeadquartersAras 8, Menara Dato’ Onn, Putra World Trade Centre, Jalan Tun Ismail 50480, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
NewspaperPro-BN newspapers:
New Straits Times
The Star
Utusan Malaysia
MIC Times
Berita Harian
Harian Metro
Kosmo!
Nanyang Siang Pau
Tamil Nesan
Student wingSiswa Barisan Nasional
Youth wingBarisan Nasional Youth Movement
Membership (2017)6,000,000
IdeologyKetuanan Melayu[2][3]
Social conservatism[4]
Economic liberalism[5]
1Malaysia
Political positionRight-wing
Colours  Royal blue and sky white
SloganRakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan
AnthemBarisan Nasional
Dewan Negara:
0 / 70
Dewan Rakyat:[6]
79 / 222
Dewan Undangan Negeri:
238 / 587
Website
www.barisannasional.org.my
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Race and politics

The National Front (Malay: Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is an opposition political party in Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of right-wing and centre parties. Party Chairman Najib Razak was the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 3 April 2009 until 10 May 2018.

The Barisan Nasional coalition employs the same inter-communal governing model of its predecessor the Alliance Party but on a wider scale, with up to 14 communal political parties involved in the coalition at one point.[1] It dominated Malaysian politics for over thirty years after it was founded, but since 2008 has faced stronger challenges from opposition parties, notably the Pakatan Rakyat & Pakatan Harapan alliances. Taken together with its predecessor (Alliance), it is considered the longest continuing ruling coalition party in the democratic world.[7]

During the 2018 general election, the Barisan Nasional coalition lost its hold of the parliament to Pakatan Harapan (Hope Coalition), and with it, for the first time in Malaysian history, a non-BN government was formed. It was also the first time Barisan Nasional became the opposition party after more than 61 years in power.

History

Formation

Barisan Nasional is the direct successor to the three-party Alliance coalition formed of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). It was founded in the aftermath of the 1969 general election and the 13 May riots. The Alliance Party lost ground in the 1969 election to the opposition parties, in particular the two newly formed parties Democratic Action Party and Gerakan, and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Although the Alliance won a majority of seats, it gained less than half the popular vote, and the resulting tension between different communities led to riots and the declaration of a state of emergency.[8] After the Malaysian Parliament reconvened in 1971, negotiations began with former opposition parties such as Gerakan and People's Progressive Party, both of which joined the Alliance in 1972, quickly followed by Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

In 1973, the Alliance Party was replaced by Barisan Nasional.[1][9] The Barisan Nasional coalition, which included regional parties from Sabah and Sarawak (Sabah Alliance Party, Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB)), was formed as a grand coalition of 11 parties under the leadership of the prime minister Tun Abdul Razak.[10] It registered in June 1974 to contest the 1974 general election, which it won with considerable success.

1977–2007

In 1977, PAS was expelled from Barisan Nasional following a revolt within the Kelantan state legislature against a chief minister appointed by the federal government.[1] Barisan Nasional nevertheless won the 1978 general election convincingly, and it continued to dominate Malaysian politics in the 1980s and 1990s despite some losses in state elections, such as the loss of Kelantan to PAS, and Sabah to Parti Bersatu Sabah.

By 2003, Barisan Nasional had grown to a coalition formed of more than a dozen communal parties. It performed particularly well in the 2004 general election, winning 198 out of 219 seats.

Although Barisan Nasional never achieved more than 67% of the popular vote in elections from 1974 until 2008, it maintained consecutive two-thirds majority of seats in the Dewan Rakyat until 2008, benefitting from Malaysia's first-past-the-post voting system.[11]

2008–2018

In the 2008 general elections, Barisan Nasional lost more than one-third of the parliamentary seats to Pakatan Rakyat, a loose alliance of opposition parties. This marked Barisan's first failure to secure a two-thirds supermajority in Parliament since 1969. Five state governments, Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak, and Selangor, fell to Pakatan Rakyat. Perak however was later returned via court ruling following a constitutional crisis. Since 2008, the coalition has seen its non-Malay component parties greatly diminished in the Peninsula.[12]

The losses continued in the 2013 general election, and it recorded its worst election result at the time. BN regained Kedah, but lost several more seats in Parliament along with the popular vote to Pakatan. Despite winning only 47% of the popular vote, it managed to gain 60% of the 222 parliamentary seats, thereby retaining control of the parliament.[13]

During the 14th General Election, Barisan Nasional lost control of the parliament to Pakatan Harapan, winning only a total of 78 parliament seats from a total of 222. This ended its 61-year rule of the country, paving way for the first government change in Malaysian history.

Organisation

As of 2013, the vast majority of Barisan Nasional's seats are held by its two largest Bumiputera-based political parties—the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). For most of its history, both the Malaysian Chinese Association and Malaysian Indian Congress have played major roles in Barisan Nasional, but their representation in Parliament and state legislatures has become much more diminished. Nevertheless, each component party purports to represent – and limit membership – to a certain race: UMNO for the Malays, MCA for the Chinese and so on. In the view of some scholars:

Since its inception the Alliance remained a coalition of communal parties. Each of the component parties operated to all intents and purposes, save that of elections, as a separate party. Their membership was communal, except perhaps Gerakan, and their success was measured in terms of their ability to achieve the essentially parochial demands of their constituents.[14]

Although both the Alliance and BN registered themselves as political parties, membership is only possible indirectly through one of the constituent parties. In the Alliance, one could hold direct membership, but this was abolished with the formation of the Barisan Nasional. The BN defines itself as a "confederation of political parties which subscribe to the objects of the Barisan Nasional". Although in elections, all candidates stand under the BN symbol, and there is a BN manifesto, each individual constituent party also issues its own manifesto, and there is intra-coalition competition for seats prior to nomination day.[15]

As of January 2017, Barisan Nasional's member parties include:

Barisan Nasional Supreme Council

Source: Organisational Chart of Barisan Nasional

Elected representatives

Dewan Negara (Senate)

Senators

Main article: List of members of the Dewan Negara

Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)

Members of Parliament of the 14th Malaysian Parliament

Main article: Members of the Dewan Rakyat, 14th Malaysian Parliament

Barisan Nasional has 78 MPs in the House of Representatives.

|}

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

Malaysian State Assembly Representatives

Main article: Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (2013–)

Barisan Nasional state governments

High-ranking BN party officials holding copies of the party manifesto at a pre-election rally in 2013. In the front row, from left, are Chua Soi Lek (MCA), Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (UMNO), and Abdul Taib Mahmud (PBB).

General election results

Election Total seats won Share of seats Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Election leader
1974
135 / 154
 87.7% 1,287,400 60.8% Increase135 seats; Governing coalition Abdul Razak Hussein
1978
131 / 154
 85.1% 1,987,907 57.2% Decrease4 seats; Governing coalition Hussein Onn
1982
132 / 154
 85.7% 2,522,079 60.5% Increase1 seats; Governing coalition Mahathir Mohamad
1986
148 / 177
 83.6% 2,649,263 57.3% Increase16 seats; Governing coalition Mahathir Mohamad
1990
127 / 180
 70.6% 2,985,392 53.4% Decrease21 seats; Governing coalition Mahathir Mohamad
1995
162 / 192
 84.4% 3,881,214 65.2% Increase35 seats; Governing coalition Mahathir Mohamad
1999
148 / 193
 76.2% 3,748,511 56.53% Decrease15 seats; Governing coalition Mahathir Mohamad
2004
198 / 219
 90.4% 4,420,452 63.9% Increase51 seats; Governing coalition Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
2008
140 / 222
 63.1% 4,082,411 50.27% Decrease58 seats; Governing coalition Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
2013
133 / 222
 59.9% 5,237,555 47.38% Decrease7 seats;[17] Governing coalition Najib Razak
2018
78 / 222
 35.59% 3,794,827 33.96% Decrease54 seats;Opposition Najib Razak

State election results

State election State Legislative Assembly
Perlis State Legislative Assembly Kedah State Legislative Assembly Kelantan State Legislative Assembly Terengganu State Legislative Assembly Penang State Legislative Assembly Perak State Legislative Assembly Pahang State Legislative Assembly Selangor State Legislative Assembly Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly Malacca State Legislative Assembly Johor State Legislative Assembly Sabah State Legislative Assembly Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Total won / Total contested
2/3 majority
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
1974
12 / 12
24 / 26
36 / 36
27 / 28
23 / 27
31 / 42
32 / 32
30 / 33
21 / 24
16 / 20
31 / 32
30 / 48
1976
1978
12 / 12
19 / 26
23 / 36
28 / 28
20 / 27
32 / 42
32 / 32
29 / 33
21 / 24
16 / 20
31 / 32
239 / 257
1979
1981
1982
11 / 12
24 / 26
26 / 36
23 / 28
25 / 27
38 / 42
31 / 32
31 / 33
22 / 24
18 / 20
32 / 32
1983
30 / 48
30 / 32
1985
6 / 48
6 / 48
1986
14 / 14
25 / 28
29 / 39
30 / 32
23 / 33
33 / 46
32 / 33
37 / 42
24 / 28
17 / 20
35 / 36
1 / 48
300 / 351
1987
28 / 48
28 / 48
1990
14 / 14
26 / 28
0 / 39
22 / 32
19 / 33
33 / 46
31 / 33
35 / 42
24 / 28
17 / 20
32 / 36
0 / 48
253 / 351
1991
49 / 56
49 / 56
1994
23 / 48
23 / 48
1995
15 / 15
34 / 36
7 / 43
25 / 32
32 / 33
51 / 52
37 / 38
45 / 48
30 / 32
22 / 25
40 / 40
338 / 394
1996
57 / 62
57 / 64
1999
12 / 15
24 / 36
2 / 43
4 / 32
30 / 33
44 / 52
30 / 38
42 / 48
32 / 32
21 / 25
40 / 40
31 / 48
312 / 329
2001
60 / 62
60 / 62
2004
14 / 15
31 / 36
21 / 45
28 / 32
38 / 40
52 / 59
41 / 42
54 / 56
34 / 36
26 / 28
55 / 56
59 / 60
452 / 504
2006
62 / 71
62 / 71
2008
14 / 15
14 / 36
6 / 45
24 / 32
11 / 40
28 / 59
37 / 42
20 / 56
21 / 36
23 / 28
50 / 56
59 / 60
307 / 504
2011
55 / 71
55 / 71
2013
13 / 15
21 / 36
12 / 45
17 / 32
10 / 40
31 / 59
30 / 42
12 / 56
22 / 36
21 / 28
38 / 56
48 / 60
275 / 505
2016
72 / 82
72 / 82

References

  1. ^ a b c d Joseph Liow; Michael Leifer (20 November 2014). Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia. Routledge. pp. 102–. ISBN 978-1-317-62233-8.
  2. ^ Helen Ting. "The Politics of National Identity in West Malaysia: Continued Mutation or Critical Transition? [The Politics of Ambiguity]" (PDF). Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. J-Stage. p. 3/21 [33] and 5/21 [35]. UMNO came into being in 1946 under the impetus of the Anti-Malayan Union Movement based on this ideological understanding of ketuanan Melayu. Its founding president, Dato' Onn Jaafar, once said that the UMNO movement did not adhere to any ideology other than Melayuisme, defined by scholar Ariffin Omar as "the belief that the interests of the bangsa Melayu must be upheld over all else". Malay political dominance is a fundamental reality of Malaysian politics, notwithstanding the fact that the governing coalition since independence, the Alliance [subsequently expanded to form the Barisan Nasional or literally, the "National Front"], is multiethnic in its composition.
  3. ^ Jinna Tay; Graeme Turner (24 July 2015). Television Histories in Asia: Issues and Contexts. Routledge. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-1-135-00807-9.
  4. ^ Timothy J. Lomperis, September 1996, 'From People's War to People's Rule: Insurgency, Intervention, and the Lessons of Vietnam', page 212, ISBN 0807822736
  5. ^ Senkyr, Jan (2013), "Political Awakening in Malaysia", KAS International Reports (7): 73–74
  6. ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12" (in Malay). Utusan Malaysia. 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  7. ^ Anuradha Raghu; Niluksi Koswanage (5 May 2013). "Malaysians vote to decide fate of world's longest-ruling coalition". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  8. ^ Keat Gin Ooi (2004). Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC-CLIO. pp. 139–. ISBN 978-1-57607-770-2.
  9. ^ Cheah Boon Kheng (2002). Malaysia: The Making of a Nation. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 147–. ISBN 978-981-230-175-8.
  10. ^ Dr Nam-Kook Kim (28 February 2014). Multicultural Challenges and Redefining Identity in East Asia. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 219–. ISBN 978-1-4724-0233-2.
  11. ^ John R. Malott (8 July 2011). "Running Scared in Malaysia". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 July 2011. (subscription required)
  12. ^ Stuart Grudgings; Al-Zaquan Amer Hamzah; Niluksi Koswanage; Raju Gopalakrishnan (5 May 2013). "Malaysia coalition extends rule despite worst electoral showing". Reuters. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  13. ^ "A dangerous result". The Economist. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  14. ^ Rachagan, S. Sothi (1993). Law and the Electoral Process in Malaysia, p. 12. Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press. ISBN 967-9940-45-4.
  15. ^ Rachagan, p. 21.
  16. ^ Kow Kwan Yee (7 May 2013). "GE13: Azlan Man sworn in as Perlis MB". The Star. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  17. ^ Arno Maierbrugger (16 August 2013). "Malaysia gov't bashed for $155m election ad spending". Inside Investor. Retrieved 16 August 2013.

Literature

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