ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the outcome of the GE14 results in three Bumiputera-majority constituencies—Putrajaya, Lembah Pantai and Setiawangsa—to obtain insights into the contest between two key Malay leaders, Najib Razak and Mahathir Mohamad. This chapter also analyzes intra-party contestations between UMNO warlords, candidates and party leaders in Lembah Pantai and Setiawangsa to determine how these cleavages undermined BN’s electoral chances. This study then reviews the apprehension among PAS supporters at the notion of an UMNO–PAS alliance and if this drove a significant number of them to support PH.
These rivalries were instrumental in enabling PH to win the swing seats of Lembah Pantai, Setiawangsa and Titiwangsa, while also causing BN to severely underperform in Putrajaya. That PAS managed to gain traction in seats where it historically possessed a negligible presence is another important development. These analyses are a product of a mixed-methods approach: in-depth interviews with the candidates, members of campaign teams and voters; an evaluation of voting data in the various polling stations across the different constituencies; and a content analysis of secondary sources such as newspapers, opinion pieces and academic articles.
