2013 Malaysian general election protest explained

Himpunan Black Out 2013
Date:8 May – 22 June 2013
Place:Every state in Malaysia and federal territory of Kuala Lumpur except Sabah and Sarawak.
Causes:Allegations of fraud in 2013 Malaysian general election
Status:Concluded
Goals:To express discontent with the election result
Side1:Pakatan Rakyat
Side2:None
Leadfigures1:Anwar Ibrahim
Leadfigures2:None
Howmany1:120,000 (First Rally)
150,000 (Second Rally)[1]
Howmany2:None
Casualties1:0
Casualties2:0

The 2013 Malaysian general election protest or Himpunan Black Out 2013 (Malay) was a series of rallies held throughout Malaysia after the 2013 general election to express discontent with the election result. The first rally was in Kelana Jaya, Malaysia on 8 May 2013. The rally was held by various Malaysian opposition-friendly non-governmental organisations and opposition parties claiming that there had been irregularities in the polling. The main venue chosen for the rally was Kelana Jaya Stadium. Web sites and blogs favourable to the opposition claimed that the rally was attended by 120,000 people.[2] Noting that the stadium's normal capacity is about 25,000, other sources estimated the number of people in and around it to be between 64,000 and 69,000.[3]

List of nationwide "Himpunan Black Out" rallies

Accusing the Election Commission of fraudulent conduct

The rally was initiated by Anwar Ibrahim, who claimed that the election was fraudulent. The opposition won 3 states (Selangor, Kelantan and Penang), but Barisan Nasional won the elections despite losing the popular vote, thereby gaining the mandate to lead Malaysia for another 5 years. In the rally Anwar Ibrahim urged opposition supporters to wear black as a sign of protest.[4]

Issues raised

Anwar Ibrahim and other Democratic Action Party (DAP) leaders present at the rally raised issues such as phantom voters, blackouts and the usage of indelible ink by the Malaysian Election Commission.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: More than 150,000 at Penang's largest-ever rally to protest 'cheating' Najib, EC. 11 May 2013 . Choon Mei. Wong. The Malaysia Chronicle . 27 September 2014.
  2. Live Report. "120,000 show of force at post-GE13 rally", Malaysiakini, Kelana Jaya, 8 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. Web site: Thousands pack Kelana Jaya stadium for Pakatan rally . Lyn . Boo Su . Ding . Emily . 9 May 2013 . . 10 October 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150919012500/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/thousands-pack-kelana-jaya-stadium-for-pakatan-rally/ . 19 September 2015 . dmy-all .
  4. Razak Ahmad and Florence A. Samy. "Malaysia Elections: BN wins with 133, wrests back Kedah", Asiaone, Petaling Jaya, 6 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  5. Web site: Najib denies BN link to phantom voter claims . Chooi . Clara . 5 May 2013 . The Malaysian Insider . 10 October 2015 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000527/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-denies-bn-link-to-phantom-voter-claims . dead .