1999 Malaysian general election

Reformasi and the Handover · Chronicle · 5 min read

Why Did the 1999 Election Split the Vote?

BN retained its two-thirds majority, PAS captured Terengganu, and Anwar's wife held Permatang Pauh

Reformasi entered a general election for the first time, but the result was not the monochromatic map expected by either side: BN kept its two-thirds majority with 148 seats, Barisan Alternatif won 42 seats, PAS surged, and Keadilan only secured five. Voters punished UMNO, but did not hand federal power to the opposition.