Abstract
The main argument of this thesis is that the people of Terengganu, who have been described as being religious, did not choose the party with Islamic platform when they were introduced to a modern political system that involved them directly in the process of electing political officials. The Islamic influence amongst the people became apparent when PAS an Islamic political party was elected as the Terengganu state government in the 1959 election but their hegemony was short lived. PAS stayed in power until end of 1961 and then did not win the elections until 1999. Did this mean that the people of Terengganu have changed their ways of thinking vis-à-vis politics? This question is the major issue discussed in this study and Islam has been used as the framework as it was an important element in the state politics and education regardless of political maneuvers.Primary sources such as files from various departments of the Terengganu state government, political parties’ collections, personal collections and newspapers were used to analyse the questions regarding the stance and support for political parties which contested for control of the state government from 1955 to 1969. These materials also were used to analyse the state government’s performance which influenced the voters’ decision as to whether to stay loyal or to change the government. This study shows that elections can be used as an index for the political, economic and educational development in Terengganu. The Malaysian general elections have a significant impact for both political parties and the people especially in Terengganu. The survival of political parties is heavily dependent on the people during each election. The people in Terengganu chose only the parties that would bring good governance which would bring fair and just development for all.
| Date of Award | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Christine Doran (Supervisor) |