The Chinese Vote in Bentong, GE12–GE14 (2008–2018)

This chapter analyses Chinese voting behaviour in the Bentong parliamentary constituency across Malaysia’s 12th to 14th General Elections (2008–2018). It examines how national political developments interacted with local service politics to reshape electoral preferences over time. The chapter shows that while the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) initially retained support through constituency service provision, the electoral effectiveness of this strategy progressively weakened. Electoral shifts in Bentong were increasingly shaped by broader political dynamics, including changes in political leadership, the expansion of civil society activism, the growing influence of social media, and governance controversies. Drawing on interview evidence, the chapter documents how constituency service remained expected and valued by voters even as electoral choices became more strongly influenced by national political considerations, highlighting the limits of service politics as an electoral strategy.