Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front Barisan Sosialis Rakyat Malaya | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | SF |
| Founder | Ahmad Boestamam |
| Founded | 31 August 1957 |
| Legalised | 29 July 1958[1] |
| Dissolved | 10 January 1966 |
| Succeeded by | United Front (1966–1969/70) |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur |
| Membership | Parti Rakyat Malaysia Labour Party of Malaya National Convention Party |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism Left-wing nationalism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Colours | Red |
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TheMalayan Peoples' Socialist Front (Malay:Barisan Sosialis Rakyat Malaya) or better known asSocialist Front (SF) orBarisan Sosialis (BS) was aleft-wing coalition of Malaysian socialist parties. It was among the longest-standing opposition coalitions inMalaysian general election history. The coalition was formed byParti Rakyat Malaya (PRM) and theLabour Party of Malaya onHari Merdeka in 1957.[2][3] In 1964, theNational Convention Party (NCP) joined the coalition.[4] PRM left the coalition in 1965 and NCP soon become inactive. The Labour Party, the only remaining party in SF, abandoned it on 10 January 1966 and reverted to its own banner.
The coalition was formed onHari Merdeka by two multi-racial parties – thePartai Rakyat (PRM) which had a Malay leftist leadership and the Labour Party of Malaya, which was largely supported by Malaya's Chinese minority. The first chairman wasAhmad Boestamam, the PRM president.
In the1959 General Elections, the Socialist Front (SF) managed to gain 8 seats in Selangor, Johor, and Penang constituencies. It won 34.6% of the popular vote cast in the constituencies.[5]
Six seats were won by the Labour Party, which wereDato' Kramat (Lim Kean Siew),Seberang Selatan (Veerappen Veerathan),Tanjong (Tan Phock Kin),Bangsar (V. David),Batu (Ng Ann Teck) andRawang (Liu Yoong Peng).[6]
Two more were won by Parti Rakyat inSetapak (Ahmad Boestamam) andDamansara (Karam Singh Veriah).
The SF successfully garnered 13% of the votes, thus becoming the third-largest party in Parliament after the Alliance and thePan Malaysian Islamic Party (PMIP).[7]
The Socialist Front managed to gain 13 out of 14 seats in George Town, Penang during the 1961 Local Elections.[5] The SF was further strengthened when the former Minister of Agriculture,Aziz Ishak, brought hisNational Convention Party into the coalition.[8]Ahmad Boestamam resigned as SF chairman in 1961 to concentrate on leading PRM.[9]
In 1963, shortly after the events of theIndonesia-Malaysia confrontation, the government took action against several opposition politicians and activists. SF was seen as pro-Indonesia and pro-China,[10][11] causing the Socialist Front leader's arrest. Among those detained and arrested wereAhmad Boestamam (PRM president),Ishak Haji Muhammad (PBM president),Abdul Aziz Ishak (NCP president) and DatukKampo Radjo (later to become president of the PRM),Tan Kai Hee,Tan Phock Kin, Dr.M.K. Rajakumar,Hasnul Abdul Hadi,Tajuddin Kahar,Kamarulzaman Teh and hundreds of others. Rallies and mass demonstrations were held on 13 February 1965 inKuala Lumpur in conjunction with the second anniversary of the detention of Ahmad Boestamam and others to oppose the mass arrests of activists and leaders of the SF under theInternal Security Act (ISA) and the alleged involvement in "subversive" activities.[12][13]
In the1964 General Elections, the Socialist Front lost 6 seats and managed to retain 2 seats. PRM and the NCP failed to gain any seats at all while the Labour Party lost a significant number of seats.[14] Cancellation of local government elections in 1965 after the declaration of Emergency in 1964 because of continued confrontation with Indonesia, weakened the impact of SF. Dispute between the two parties resulted inPRM leaving the coalition in December 1965,[15] and NCP soon become inactive. The Labour Party, the only party in SF that held seats, abandoned it on 10 January 1966 and reverted to its own banner.[16]
In 1968, most of the Labour Party members linked up with UDP members to formGerakan.Labour Party boycotted the1969 elections and organised demonstrations against the detention of its leaders by the government.[17][18]
Afterthe elections, the Labour Party continued in the face of tough action by the government and was finally wound up on 6 September 1972.[19] PRM changed its name to Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM) in 1970 and again in 1989 (Parti Rakyat Malaysia-PRM).
Ahmad Boestamam andIshak Haji Muhammad establishedParti Marhaen Malaysia (PMM) in 1968. PMM then merged withParti Keadilan Masyarakat Malaysia (PEKEMAS) in 1974. He tried to resurrect the coalition before the1974 elections, but failed.[20]
Chairmen
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahmad Boestamam | 31 August 1957 | 17 April 1961 | |
| 2 | Ishak Mohamed | 17 April 1961 | 10 January 1966 | [21] |
| Election | Total seats won | Seats contested | Total votes | Share of votes | Outcome of election | Election leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 8 / 104 | 104 | 199,688 | 12.9% |  8 seats;Opposition coalition | Ahmad Boestaman |
| 1964 | 2 / 104 | 104 | 330,898 | 16.1% |  6 seats;Opposition coalition | Tan Chee Khoon |
| State election | State Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perlis State Legislative Assembly | Kedah State Legislative Assembly | Kelantan State Legislative Assembly | Terengganu State Legislative Assembly | Penang State Legislative Assembly | Perak State Legislative Assembly | Pahang State Legislative Assembly | Selangor State Legislative Assembly | Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly | Malacca State Legislative Assembly | Johor State Legislative Assembly | Sabah State Legislative Assembly | Sarawak State Legislative Assembly | Total won / Total contested | |
| 1959 | 0 / 12 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 24 | 7 / 24 | 0 / 40 | 0 / 24 | 3 / 28 | 3 / 24 | 0 / 20 | 3 / 32 | 16 / 124 | ||
| 1964 | 0 / 12 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 24 | 2 / 24 | 0 / 40 | 0 / 24 | 4 / 28 | 0 / 24 | 2 / 20 | 0 / 32 | 8 / 167 | ||
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