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" The implications of the electoral system for party competition in West Malaysia, 1982-2004 "
Wong, C. H.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Record Number
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1098422
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TLets542353
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| Main Entry
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Wong, C. H.
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| Title & Author
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The implications of the electoral system for party competition in West Malaysia, 1982-2004\ Wong, C. H.
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| College
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The University of Essex
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| Date
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2011
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| student score
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2011
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Abstract
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Taking a Rational Choice Institutionalist approach, this thesis argues that the Single MemberPlurality (SMP) elections have contributed to the thriving of electoral one-party state in Malaysia.Analysing six consecutive elections from 1982 to 2004, it examines the implications of theelectoral system for the formation of party system in West Malaysia - the political core ofMalaysia- from four aspectsr: eductiono f nationalp arties,r eductiono f constituencyp arties,programmatic competition and particularistic competition.Based on Cox's "M+1" rule of party reduction, it explains the under-reduction of national partiesand over-reduction of constituency parties. While the winner-takes-all character of SMPelectionsn ormally forcesp olitical playerst o coalescein to two camps,M alaysiah adt wooppositionp arties- representingth e Malays andn on-Malaysr espectively- for most of the years.The winner-takes-all character of the electoral system had been so strong that the opposition sawno prospect of winning the executive power and no incentive to form a coalition. Meanwhile, atthe constituency level, ethnically-mixed constituencies often returned the ruling coalitioncandidates with large margin, resulting in monopartism rather than bipartism. Until the majorityis larger than two-third to ensure a united minority cannot emerge as the plurality winner, drivenby ethnici nsecurity,t hey would ratherc oncentrateth eir voteso n onec andidateth at representstheir ethnic interests.SMP elections are often credited for middle-ground politics but the divided opposition parties inMalaysia often occupied the flank positions. An analysis into party manifestos shows thatpolitical parties did indeed move to the centre as they form coalition, but only when theopposition could see the prospect of winning.Lastly, this thesis tries to assess the significance of particularistic competition but cannot findevidences for phenomena like personal vote and incumbency effect. This is perhaps becauseparticularistic competition in Malaysia is more party-based than individual-based.
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The University of Essex
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