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Cross-ethnic Vote-pooling in West Malaysia                    71

                  Table 4.8 (cont’d)
                   Chinese voters      Average popular vote obtained by DAP (%)*
                   (%)          DAP v. MCA (23)  DAP v. Gerakan (6)  DAP v. MIC (2)
                   40–49.9           29.4             27.9             35.0**
                   30–39.9           18.8                              26.1**

                  Notes: *Average popular votes are calculated based on the total number of votes cast
                  (inclusive of spoilt votes)
                        ** is seat, Cameron Highlands in Pahang, is especially mixed, with an almost
                  even proportion of Chinese and Malay voters as well as 16 per cent each Indian and
                  Orang Asli voters.


                   e 2018 General Election
                  As shown in Tables 4.3 and 4.4, the ethnic distribution of electoral support
                  between BN and PH reversed in the 14th general election. Tables 4.9 and 4.10
                  present the shift in ethnic support for MCA and DAP candidates respectively.
                  What is notable for the MCA is its shrinking support among both Malay and
                  Chinese voters: about half its candidates could not obtain even 20 per cent of
                  the popular vote. DAP, on the other hand, largely withstood the dilution of
                  Malay opposition votes by PAS candidates and managed to make much greater
                  inroads into mixed seats than in 2004. 9


                  Table 4.9   Ethnic distribution of MCA electoral support in Peninsular
                              Malaysia (2018)

                   Malay            Voter support for MCA (%)        Total   Total
                   voters   <20 20–39.9 40–49.9 50–59.9 60–79.9 80–99.9  seats   seats
                   (%)                                              contested  won
                    0–19.9   9                                         9      0
                   20–39.9   5    4      1                            10      0
                   40–59.9   5    9      3                            17      1
                   60–79.9        3                                    3      0
                   Total   19    16      4                            39      1

                     In 2018, PAS’s strategy of  elding candidates in a large number of seats in
                  West Malaysia as vote-spoilers resulted in a great number of three-cornered
                  contests with BN and PH. PAS candidates were able to attract su cient Malay
                  votes to a ect some electoral outcomes. All fourth-party or independent
                  candidates obtained less than 2 per cent of votes cast, except in the seat of
                  Batu.  ere, the disquali ed Keadilan candidate, Chua Tian Chang, endorsed





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