Democracy Denied: What Really Happened in GE13 and What it Means for Malaysia

The May 2013 General Election was a watershed election for Malaysia in what it did not deliver; there was no change of government. While the opposition won the popular vote, it did not capture government. The longest governing coalition in the world comprised of the Barisan Nasional (National Front or BN) dominated by the Malay-chauvinist party, the United Malay National Organization, stayed in office, extending its 56-year tenure. This book looks at what happened in the election. Based on fieldwork before and after polls, a detailed analysis of the results at the polling station level, and years of following elections on the ground, this study traces the campaign to the post-election questions of political legitimacy. The analysis explains how and why democracy was denied in this election, and fleshes out the implications for future elections in Malaysia. See more