All Malaysia elections

1982 Malaysian General Election

22–26 April 1982 · The Barisan Nasional decades · 154 seats, 78 for a majority

General elections were held in Malaysia between Thursday, 22 April and Monday, 26 April 1982. Voting took place in all 154 parliamentary constituencies of Malaysia, each electing one Member of Parliament to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant house of Parliament.

Cleanly counted but heavily tilted: severe malapportionment, government-controlled media and the Internal Security Act framed every contest of the Barisan Nasional decades.

Prime Minister before

Mahathir Mohamad

BN

Prime Minister (continued)

Mahathir Mohamad

BN

Largest force

UMNO

132 of 154 seats

Turnout

74.4%

The result

Share of the Dewan Rakyat
UMNOMahathir Mohamad132+2
2,522,07960.5%+3.3
DAPLim Kit Siang9-7
815,47319.6%+0.5
PASAsri Muda50
602,53014.5%-1.0

8 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.