Malaysia: Malaysia Government Profile

Head of state: Tuanku Abdul Halim

Tuanku Abdul Halim was appointed the 14th paramount ruler, Malaysia's head of state, in December 2011. Having already held the post from 1970 to 1975, he is the first Malaysian king to be enthroned twice. He is also the oldest to be elected to the post at 83.

The post of paramount ruler is rotated every five years among the sultans of the nine Malay kingdoms.

Prime minister: Najib Abdul Razak

Najib Razak assumed the post of prime minister following the resignation of his predecessor in 2009, and was sworn in for a second term after his coalition won elections in May 2013.

The long-governing National Front coalition won the 2013 national elections with a weakened majority to extend its unbroken, 56-year rule, fending off the strongest opposition it had ever faced.

The opposition alleged the biggest electoral fraud in the country's history.

The son of the country's second prime minister and nephew of the third, Mr Najib is regarded by many Malaysians as political blue blood and seems to have been destined for the premiership from an early age.

A British-trained economist, he first entered parliament at the age of 23 - becoming the youngest MP in Malaysian history - and quickly rose to prominence.

He held numerous cabinet posts - including finance and defence - before becoming prime minister.

He took over the premiership at a turbulent time, and faces the enormous challenge of steering the country through the global financial crisis, which has hit the economy hard.

Mr Najib pledged radical reforms and a more transparent government. He said that one of his priorities would be to close a widening ethnic and religious divide, after Malaysia's ethnic minorities shifted towards the opposition in large numbers in the 2008 polls, fearing their rights were being eroded.

But his rise to power was marked by a government crackdown on the resurgent opposition, with allegations that strong-arm tactics were being used to stifle political dissent.

In July 2011, a demonstration in the capital Kuala Lumpur calling for electoral reform was forcibly broken up by the police.

However, the following month Mr Najib announced that a cross-party parliamentary committee would look into ways of making the voting process more democratic.

Government Type: Constitutional monarchy with a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Independence Date: 31 August 1957 (from the United Kingdom)

Legal System: Based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law applies to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.

The governance of Malaysia is based upon a Parliamentary Democracy, with the supreme head of the nation of Malaysia its constitutional monarch, His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Federal Constitution outllines the separation of governing powers among executive, judicial and legislative authorities. The separation of powers occurs at Federal as well as state levels of governance.

Constitution

The Federal Constitution of Malaysia is the supreme law of the nation. It distributes the power of governance in accordance with the practice of Parliamentary Democracy. The constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Parliament

The Parliament passes Federal laws, makes amendments to existing Federal laws, examines the government’s policies, approves the government’s expenditures and approves new taxes. Also, it serves as the forum for debate and deliberations; and the focus of public opinion on national affairs.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Supreme Head of State as stipulated in the Constitution. The King performs his official duties upon the advice of the Prime Minister—and his Cabinet—as provided for by the Constitution. Also, His Majesty holds the position of Islamic Religious Head for the States of Penang, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territories. As Malaysia's Supreme Head of State, the King is the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected every five years in accordance with a rotating succession system determined by the Conference of Rulers.

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is the indirectly-elected head of the government of Malaysia, although he is appointed formally by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state. The Primie Minister is the leader of the largest party in the Dewan Rakyat, the elected lower house of Parliament. The Prime Minisgter heads the Cabinet, whose members are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the Prime Minister's advice. The current Prime Minister is Najib Tun Razak.

Senate

The Senate consists of 70 members—44 members of which are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister—including two members from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and one member each from the Federal Territory of Labuan and Putrajaya. The remaining 26 members are elected by the 13 States Legislative Assembly, where each State is represented by two members.
House of Representatives
caption The Prime Minister's residence, Putrajaya

The House of Representatives consists of 219 members who hold office for a period of five years. Members of the House are elected by the people through general elections, where each member represents a constituency. The present Speaker of the House is Tan Sri Datuk Pandikar Amin Bin Haji Mulia.

Putrajaya - Federal Administrative Capital

The city of Putrajaya is the seat of the Malaysian Government—it replaced Kuala Lumpur in 1999. Putrajaya is named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Federal Territories and State Governments

Malaysia consists of 13 states, Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu, and three Federal Territories, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya. and Labuan. As at the Federal level, there is a corresponding separation of governing powers at the State level—among the Executive, Judicial and Legislative Authorities—in line with the concept of federalism.

Federal Ministries

Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water
Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development
Ministry of Federal Territories
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Higher Education
Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security
Ministry Housing and Local Government
Ministry of Human Resources
Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities
Ministry of Rural and Regional Development
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
Ministry of Works
Ministry of Youth and Sports

Environmental Governmental Agencies

There are a number of governmental agencies below the ministerial level which are addressed to environmental issues. Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Business are the following departments:

Agriculture Department Malaysia
Fisheries Department Malaysia
Veterinary Department Services Malaysia

Under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment there are found the following departments:

Department of Environment Malaysia
Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia
Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia
Sarawak Forestry Department
Sabah Forestry Department