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GOVERNMENT
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Country
Name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Malayan Union |
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Government
Type:
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constitutional
monarchy
note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31
August 1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and
Singapore) formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on
9 August 1965); nominally headed by the paramount ruler and a
bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and
an elected lower house; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary
rulers in all but Melaka, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors
are appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of state governments
are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of the federation,
Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g.,
the right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah -
holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs,
defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal
government; Sarawak - holds 28 seats in House of Representatives,
with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers
delegated to federal government |
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Administrative
Divisions:
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13
states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 2 federal territories*
(wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah persekutuan);
Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang,
Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu,
Wilayah Persekutuan*
note: the city of Kuala Lumpur is located within the federal
territory of Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms therefore are not
interchangeable |
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Independence:
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31
August 1957 (from UK) |
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National
Holiday:
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National
Day, 31 August (1957) |
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Constitution:
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31
August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 |
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Legal
System :
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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21
years of age; universal |
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Executive
Branch:
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chief
of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz
Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26 April
1999); Deputy Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin ibni
A-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad
(since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad
Badawi (since 8 January 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among
the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler and deputy paramount ruler elected
by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year
terms; election last held 27 February 1999 (next to be held NA
2004); prime minister designated from among the members of the
House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the
leader of the party that wins a plurality of seats in the House
of Representatives becomes prime minister
election results: Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah
ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah elected paramount
ruler; Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin ibni A-Marhum Sultan Mahmud
Al-Muktafi Billah Shah elected deputy paramount ruler |
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Legislative
Branch:
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bicameral
Parliament or Parlimen consists of nonelected Senate or Dewan
Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed
by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or
Dewan Rakyat (193 seats; members elected by popular vote weighted
toward the rural Malay population to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 29 November
1999 (next to be held 3 November 2004)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NF 56%, other 44%; seats by party - NF 148, PAS
27, DAP 10, NJP 5, PBS 3 |
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Judicial
Branch:
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Supreme
Court, judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of
the prime minister |
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Political
Parties and Leaders:
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State
Reform Party or STAR [PATAV Rubis]; Democratic Action Party or
DAP [LIM Kit Siang]; Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia [LIM Keng Yaik];
Liberal Democratic Party [leader NA]; Malaysian Chinese Association
or MCA [LING Liong Sik]; Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC [S.
Samy VELLU]; National Front or NF [MAHATHIR bin Mohamad] (a coalition
of 14 political parties, dominated by the UMNO, and including
the UPKO, SAPP, and the Liberal Democratic Party); National Justice
Party or NJP [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail]; Parti Akar [Datuk PANDIKAR
Amin Mulia]; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Datuk Leo MOGGIE];
Parti Bersekutu [HARRIS Salleh]; Parti Islam SeMalaysia or PAS
[Ustaz Fadzil Mohamed NOOR]; Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or
PBB [Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Sabah People's Progressive
Party or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sabah People's United Party (Parti
Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) or PBRS [Datuk Joseph KURUP]; Sarawak National
Party or SNAP [Datuk Amar James WONG]; Sarawak United People's
Party or SUPP [Datuk Dr. George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Kadazan
People's Organization or UPKO (formerly Parti Demokratik Sabah)
[Bernard DOMPOK]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO
[OSU Sukam]; United Sabah Party (main opposition party) (Parti
Bersatu Sabah) or PBS [Dr. Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]
note: subsequent to the election, the following parties
were dissolved - Spirit of '46 or Semangat '46 [Tengku Tan Sri
RAZALEIGH, president] and Sabah United Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah)
or PBS [Datuk Seri Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan] |
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International
Organization Participation:
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APEC,
AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Flag
Description:
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14
equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom);
there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing
a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent
and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was
based on the flag of the US |
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