Labour Party of Malaya

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Labour Party of Malaya
Parti Buruh Malaya
National affiliationMalayan Peoples' Socialist Front (1957–66)
United Front (1966)
International affiliationSocialist International (1952–1966)[1][2]
Asian Socialist Conference
ColoursRed, white
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of
Malaysia
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  • Ibrahim Iskandar
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  • Mohd. Zuki Ali
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Ideologies and concepts

Race and politics

The Labour Party of Malaya (

state
based labour parties known as the Pan-Malayan Labour Party (PMLP).

History

Origins

The LPM's roots lay in the state labour parties that were established after the British government announced plans to organise

anti-colonial
.

The party joined the Socialist International as a member.[3]

The party chairman Lee Moke Sang was forced to resign as public servants were barred from political office.

socialist leadership, the positions gradually took a more anti-colonial form and in June 1954, the organisation was renamed the LPM.[5]

Development

With a radical agenda as its platform, the LPM was routed in the

Georgetown in Penang
in the 1956 local elections with a majority of eight seats.

According to the party's own accounts it had more or less the same number of

Indians or people from other communities. The party identified itself as a non-communal party. It considered that the Alliance government represented capitalist and feudal groups.[6]

The party had a youth wing called the Socialist Youth League of Malaya.[7]

Socialist Front

Persecution

Radicalisation

Demise

Platform

Pre-Independence

The LPM's founding constitution demanded immediate

Malay rulers, an elected presidency
, and a secular state.

Post-Independence

In view of the changed circumstances after the independence of Malaya in 1957, the LPM amended its constitution in 1959 to strive for the establishment of a united democratic socialist state of Malaya and to secure for the workers who work by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible, upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service (the latter part essentially mirroring the then Clause IV of the British Labour Party's constitution).

General elections result

Election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Election leader
1955
0 / 52
 31 4,786 0.48% Steady; No representation in Legislative Council D. S. Ramanathan
1959
6 / 104
 31 Increase6 seats; Opposition coalition
(Socialist Front) 		Ishak Mohammad
1964
2 / 159
 33 Decrease4 seats; Opposition coalition
(Socialist Front) 		Tan Chee Khoon

State election result

State election State Legislative Assembly
Kedah Kelantan Penang Perak Pahang Selangor Negeri Sembilan Malacca Johor Total won / Total contested
2/3 majority
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
2 / 3
1955
0 / 14
0 / 13
0 / 12
0 / 3
1959
0 / 24
0 / 30
7 / 24
0 / 40
0 / 24
1 / 28
3 / 24
0 / 20
3 / 32
14 / 48
1964
0 / 24
2 / 24
0 / 40
0 / 24
3 / 28
0 / 24
2 / 20
0 / 32
7 / 89

References

  1. ^ "Socialist Int'l May Become World Body". The Straits Times. 1952-10-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  2. ^ "MacCarthyism in Socialist International, charge by Tan". The Straits Times. 1966-03-08. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  3. ^ Rose, Saul. Socialism in Southern Asia. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. pp. 8-9
  4. ^ D.S. Ramanathan. Tasks of Socialism in Malaya, in Socialist Asia, Vol IV, November 1955/February 1956, Nos. 3-4. p. 8
  5. ISBN 978-9795614302
  6. ^ D.S. Ramanathan. Socialism in Malaya, in May Day 1956, jointly published by the Socialist International and the Asian Socialist Conference. pp. 7-8
  7. ^ Resolutions of the Socialist Youth League of Malaya, in May Day 1956, jointly published by the Socialist International and the Asian Socialist Conference. p. 8

Further reading

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