The Melaka State Election: Unravelling Unexpected Outcomes

MALAYSIA STUDIES PROGRAMME

About the Webinar

The recently-concluded Melaka election was an important victory for Barisan Nasional (BN), Malaysia’s formerly dominant coalition. The grouping increased its seats in the 28-seat state assembly from 13 to 21. Conversely, Pakatan Harapan (PH) only secured five, down from its 2018 high of 15. And, Perikatan Nasional (PN) lost its two seats but secured another two elsewhere.

With an ethnic composition roughly in line with Malaysia’s and a similar per capita income to the national average, many have sought to take these recent polls as a portent of things to come. However, beyond the mere number of seats, voting trends paint a more complicated picture. While relative to 2018, PH’s vote share decreased substantially, BN’s only increased marginally. Conversely, PN performed better than expected, emerging as a credible contender in a number of seats.

Due to COVID-related restrictions, the conduct of the election was markedly different to 2018. Campaigning was hampered by movement restrictions, shifting energies and discussion online, and many voters stayed away from the polls due to health concerns or disenchantment. These new dynamics led to a range of unexpected outcomes.

This webinar will bring together personal perspectives and data analysis to unravel the factors at play in the election.

About the Speakers

Ginie Lim served as a Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Machap Jaya from May 2018 to November 2021. She also served as a State Executive Council member for Women, Welfare and Rural Development from 2018-2020. Ginie Lim is currently the Chief of Alor Gajah Division and Central Committee Member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR’s) Women’s Wing. Previously, she was the Youth and Women’s Chief of PKR Malacca, and Deputy Chief of the National Information Bureau.  Ginie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Science Malaysia and a Master’s Degree in Poverty and Development from the University of Sussex.

Danesh Chacko is the Director of Tindak Malaysia, an electoral reform non-governmental organization. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Geomatics) from RMIT University, Australia, and has worked with Geographic Information Systems for international corporations including the leading GPS company, TomTom. Danesh specializes in open electoral data, re-delineation and other Malaysian electoral issues, and has worked as a data analyst at INVOKE, an electoral data analytics firm, and is currently a Research Analyst for the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University.

Registration

This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.

Please register here to receive your unique link for joining the webinar.

Limited spaces only, register early to avoid disappointment.

To join the webinar,
1. Install the Zoom client onto your computer or download the app on your mobile device.
2. Click on the unique link in your email.

If you have questions for the speaker, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speaker during the Q&A session.

Date

Dec 08 2021
Expired!

Time

GMT+8
10:00 am - 11:30 am

Location

Webinar