Malaysia’s GE-13: The realignment of Chinese voters

Ethnicity/race has always been a critical factor in influencing the process and trends of political socialization in Malaysia. This is readily evident in the establishment of several ethnic-based political parties such as the UMNO representing the Malay, the MCA representing the Chinese, the MIC representing the Indian, the UPKO, LDP and PDS representing the different natives of Sabah, and the PBB, SUPP, PRS and SPDP) representing the natives of Sarawak. This status-quo has been altered quite significantly by the 13th General Elections of 2013. Nicknamed the urban or Chinese ‘political tsunami’ it denoted the massive shift in the voting decision of predominantly urban Chinese voters from ethnic-based to non-ethnic based political parties. This article examines this voting ‘realignment’ of the urban Chinese that had led to the decive victories of the Pakatan Rakyat (DAP, PKR and PAS) candidates and the formation of alternative governments in the states of Selangor and Penang. Analyses of the election results and other secondary data indicated that if the BN failed to learn the lessons of policy, leadership and institutional rectification or reformation needed to regain the support of the urban Chinese voters the BN will see the continued erosion of the Chinese political support and the sustained reigning of the PKR state governments in the general elections to come.