TREND PENGUNDIAN DALAM PILIHAN RAYA UMUM MALAYSIA KE-13

Abstract

General Elections (GE) to the 13th (2013) is the most intense election in the history of elections in Malaysia that are characterized by political scientists as ‘the mother of the election’ in Malaysia. This is because for the first time in the history of the opposition have almost equal chances to win the election. Thus, this article will look at and analyze the voting trends that occur with the use of aggregate data of 2013 GE. The of parliamentary election results showed a reduction in the number of parliamentary seats won by Barisan Nasional when it won only 133 seats (60 per cent) compared to the 140 seats in GE 2008. It also intends Barisan Nasional failed to regain the two-thirds majority mandate seats of the total 222 parliamentary seats as ‘political tsunami’ in election 2008. But the pull of the popular vote in favor of Pakatan Rakyat when acquiring 51 per cent compared to Barisan Nasional only obtained 47 percent. Such a result shows democracy is still practiced in the country. Thus, BN as the central government needs to do something, perhaps reform the political strategies and their leaders to recapture the hearts of voters who do not support them in order to get a stronger mandate that a majority of 2/3 of parliamentary seats next recapture ‘rich state’ which Selangor and Penang in the next general election. For the opposition parties, the democratic space available should be used in addition to being able to play the role of ‘checks and balances’ for the benefit of the people in this country.