Parti Melayu Semangat 46

The idea of Semangat 46 first came about in 1985 or 1986 when Malaysia was experiencing an economic recession. In 1987, Razaleigh's "Team B" faction challenged Mahathir's "Team A" faction for control of UMNO. Mahathir won the party election with a slim 41 votes majority in the controversial 1987 UMNO leadership election,Yahaya(2003), p. 135 and removed all Team B members from the cabinet. Team B leaders claimed many party delegates were improperly elected, and filed suit to overturn the election. This led to UMNO being declared illegal on technical grounds in 1988. Mahathir immediately reconstituted UMNO, with only Team A members.Rodan (1996), p. 138

Razaleigh and Team B formed their own party. They tried to register as "UMNO 46" (alluding to the party's founding in 1946. This was an attempt to invoke the nostalgic spirit of the old UMNO. "UMNO 46" was rejected as a duplicate name, so Razaleigh chose the name "Semangat 46".Tan (1989), p. 38-40 On 3 June 1989, Semangat 46 was officially registered with the electoral college.Hwang (2003), p. 182 The first party's general meeting was held on 12 October 1989, officiated by Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.{{Cite web|url=http://theindiestory.blogspot.com/2008/05/parti-melayu-semangat-46-penghormatan.html|title=The Indie Story: 'PARTI MELAYU SEMANGAT 46' (Penghormatan buat UMNO LAMA) Ditulis Oleh Moderator|year=2008}} Among notable leaders that joined Semangat 46 were Marina Yusoff, Ilyani Ishak, Rais Yatim, Harun Idris, Suhaimi Kamaruddin, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Othman Saat, Salleh Abas, Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar, and Ibrahim Ali.

In 1990, Semangat 46 formed two coalitions with other opposition parties to contest the 1990 Malaysian general election. The Gagasan Rakyat (GR) coalition was with the multi-racial Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). The Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) coalition was with the Muslim parties Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Pan-Malaysian Islamic Front (BERJASA), Parti Hizbul Muslimin Malaysia (HAMIM) and the newly formed Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA).Hwang (2003), p. 184

Despite these alliances, Semangat 46 did poorly in the 1990 federal election, winning only 8 of 180 seats. However, the Angkatan alliance swept the state election in Razaleigh's home state, Kelantan, winning all 39 seats. Semangat 46 won 15, PAS won 24.Francis Kok et al. (2002), p. 95 For the first time in UMNO history, the party failed to win any seats in a state level.Yahaya (2003), p. 5

Over the next few years, Semangat 46 lost support; many of its members defected to UMNO, including the party's youth chief Ibrahim Ali. After Ibrahim left S46, the youth chief was replaced by Zulkifli Othman, which was previously the S46 Youth Johor chairman. Others remained as members but withdrew from political activity. In February 1994, Semangat 46 decided to challenge UMNO on Malay communal issues. The party was renamed Parti Melayu Semangat 46, and thus renounced its multi-ethnic stance.

In the mid-1990s, Semangat 46's relationship with DAP deteriorated, which eventually led to the breakup of the Gagasan Rakyat (GR) coalition, shortly before the 1995 Malaysian general election. At the same time, Semangat 46 had increasingly strained ties with PAS over power-sharing in Kelantan state, though they still managed to retain control of Kelantan and worked together in the 1995 election. By this time, the party's credibility was severely compromised by winning so few electoral victories and the loss of many key figures.{{Cite news |title=Pas looked down on Semangat 46', say Razaleigh |date=1996-01-20 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=x8G803Bi31IC&dat=19960120&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=2024-12-04 |work=New Straits Times |pages=6 |language=en}} The deputy president, Rais Yatim, lost his parliamentary seat in the 1995 election, though Tengku Razaleigh was re-elected. In the end, Semangat 46 won six parliamentary seats, with support coming mainly from Kelantan.Hwang (2003), p. 260-1

By May 1996, Semangat 46 was greatly reduced in size and influence. Razeleigh was finally worn out after spending millions of ringgit to upkeep the party. On 6 October 1997, an extraordinary general meeting were called and members voted for party dissolution.{{Cite news |title=D-Day for S46 and future of Malay unity |last=Abdullah |first=Ashraf |date=1996-10-06 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=x8G803Bi31IC&dat=19961006&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=2024-12-04 |work=New Straits Times |pages=2 |language=en}} Razaleigh officially announced to the remaining 200,000 members that he would disband the party. Razaleigh rejoined UMNO with most of the party members.{{Cite web|url=http://theindiestory.blogspot.com/2008/05/parti-melayu-semangat-46-penghormatan.html|title=The Indie Story: 'PARTI MELAYU SEMANGAT 46' (Penghormatan buat UMNO LAMA) Moderator|date=1 May 2008}} Some were denied re-admission to UMNO; they either left politics altogether or joined PAS.Stewart (2003), p. 28{{cite web|url=http://lib.perdana.org.my/PLF/Digital_Content/Prominent_Leaders/Mahathir/News_1968-2004/1996-1998/1996pz/parti%20melayu%20semangat%2046%20t.pdf |title=S46-Dissolve: Parti Melayu Semangat '46 To Be Dissolved On Oct 6|publisher=Bernama|date=18 August 1996|via=Perdana Leadership Foundation Library}}

• 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis
• Gagasan Rakyat
• Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|title=Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and Practices|author1=Francis Kok-Wah Loh |author2=Francis Loh Kok Wah |author3=Boo Teik Khoo |author4=Khoo Boo Teik |publisher=Routledge|year=2002|isbn=0-7007-1161-9|page=95}}
• {{cite book|title=Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State Under Mahathir|author=Hwang, In-Won|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|year=2003|isbn=981-230-185-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/personalizedpoli00inwo}}
• {{cite book|title=The Mahathir Legacy: A Nation Divided, A Region at Risk|author=Stewart, Ian|publisher=Allen & Unwin|year=2003|isbn=1-86508-977-X}}
• {{cite book|title=Political Oppositions in Industrialising Asia|author=Garry Rodan, Asia Research Centre|publisher=Routledge|year=1996|isbn=0-415-14865-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/politicalopposit00garr}}
• {{cite book|title=First 60 Days: The 27th October ISA Arrests|author=Tan Seng Giaw|author-link=Tan Seng Giaw|publisher=Democratic Action Party|year=1989|pages=38–40}}
• {{cite book|title=UMNO POLITICS - Abdullah Badawi's DILEMA|author=Yahaya Ismail|publisher=Usaha Teguh Sdn Bhd]|year=2003|isbn=983-2236-03-7}}

{{Malaysian political parties}}

Category:Defunct political parties in Malaysia

Category:Political parties established in 1988

Category:Political parties disestablished in 1996

Category:1988 establishments in Malaysia

Category:1996 disestablishments in Malaysia