Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Malaysia

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Malaysia.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

Government Type: constitutional monarchy
Administrative Divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 3 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Putrajaya*, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
Legal System: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malaysia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 out 12 years preceding application
Executive Branch: chief of state: Paramount Ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan of Johor (since 31 January 2024) head of government: Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 24 November 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader of the party or coalition that commands a majority in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister election results: Sultan IBRAHIM ibni Sultan Iskandar elected as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, taking the oath of office on 31 January 2024; ANWAR Ibrahim appointed prime minister following the November 2022 general election after his Pakatan Harapan-led coalition secured enough support to form a unity government
Legislative Branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199, DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1
Judicial Branch: Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister)
Political Parties: ruling-coalition National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN, consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWANI]; opposition parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]; opposition coalition Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA - consists of PAS and PKR
Head of State: King - Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin
Head of Government: Prime Minister Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the king
Elections: kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held on 3 November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands the support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party)
Election Results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected king; in practice, selection is based on principle of rotation among rulers of states
Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
National Holiday: Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)
International Organization Participation: APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: chief of mission: Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700 FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
U.S. Diplomatic Representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50400 Kuala Lumpur; American Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152 telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000 FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207

Capital City

Seat of government and political history.

Capital City: Kuala Lumpur; note - nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not the capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur
Location: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
Time Difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
History: the Malay word for "river junction or estuary" is kuala and lumpur means "mud"; together the words render the meaning of "muddy confluence"

Embassy and Diplomatic Representation

Embassy location and contact details.

U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur 376 Jalan Tun Razak 50400, Kuala Lumpur. P.O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur. Emergency after-hours telephone: (60-3) 2168-5000 (after business hours, please press 1 at the recording). The American Citizen services unit's telephone number: (60-3) 2168-4997/4979 Consular section's fax number: (60-3) 2148-5801. General fax number: (60-3) 2142-2207. E-mail - klacs@state.gov.

Military

Branches, service obligations, expenditures, and manpower.

Military Branches: Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM)
Service Age and Obligation: 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

National Flag

Flag Symbolism: named Jalur Gemilang (adopted August 31 1997), consist of 14 red (top) and white (bottom) stripes of equal width, a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a crescent and a star. The red and white stripes stand for the equal status in the Federation of the member states and the Federal government. The union of carton of dark blue in the upper quarter of the flag next to the staff represents the unity of the people of Malaysia. The union contains the crescent which is the symbol of Islam, and the star with its 14 points symbolises the unity of the 13 states of the Federation with the Federal government. The yellow of the crescent and the star is the royal colour of the hereditary Malay Rulers. The design was based on the flag of the US.
Date of Adoption: 16 September 1963

National Anthem

Anthem Lyrics: Negaraku Tanah tumpahnya darahku Rakyat hidup Bersatu dan Maju Rahmat Bahagia Tuhan kurniakan Raja Kita Selamat bertahta. Rahmat Bahagia Tuhan kurniakan Raja Kita Selamat bertahta.
Anthem History: The Malaysian National Anthem, an adaptation of the Perak State Anthem, has special links to Sultan Abdullah of Perak who was exiled to the Seychelles by the British colonialists following the assassination of the state's first British Resident (J.W.W Birch) in 1876. The Anthem was selected by a special committee headed by Malaysia's first Prime Minister, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj. Initially, a world-wide contest was held for the composition of a national anthem for the infant Federation of Malaya, but none of the entries including those from distinguished composers of international standing were found suitable. The final selection, in a ceremony at the Police Depot in Kuala Lumpur on 5 August 1957, favoured the Perak State Anthem on account of its traditional flavour and melody. With the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, it was adopted as the National Anthem of Malaysia. On April 4, 1968, the National Language Act which makes any act of disrespect towards the National Anthem a punishable offence was gazetted. The honour of performing the National Anthem is restricted to designated individuals only. During the 1992 National Day celebrations, the National Anthem was given a faster beat to signal the dynamic progress of the nation as it moves towards its homegrown Vision 2020.

Other National Symbols

National Flower
Chinese Hibiscus
an evergreen shrub native to East Asia, also known as China rose and Shoe flower. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, red, firm, but lack any scent.
Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms of Malaysia shows a 14-pointed star which represents the equal status of the 13 states and their unity with the federal government. The Star and the Crescent from the traditional symbols of Islam, the official religion of Malaysia. The five keris represent the former Unfederated Malay States of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. The four former Federated Malay States of Negeri Sembilan,Pahang,Perak and Selangor are represented by the four centre panels, the permutations of whose colours represent the colours of these (red, black and yellow for Negeri Sembilan; black and white for Pahang; black, white and yellow for Perak and red and yellow for Selangor). The left-hand division of the shield represents the state of Penang (Pulau Pinang) and the right-hand division, with the Melaka tree, the state of Melaka.The states of Sabah and Sarawak are represented by the left and right sections below respectively while the centre contains the national flower, the bunga raya (hibiscus). The tigers, rampant on either side of the shield are retained from the earlier armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya (and before that of the Federated Malay States). The yellow colour of the scroll containing the Motto in Roman and Jawi script is the royal colour of the Rulers.
Seal
The National Seal is used by the President to verify the authenticity of documents of state. The National Seal bears the National motto “Unity, Liberty, Justice” twice. Once on a riband beneath the Coat of Arms and again circumscribed on the rim.

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