Malaysia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Malaysia, it was the name means "Land of the Malays". The Government system in this country is the federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya
National symbols
Tiger, hibiscus; national colors: gold, black.
The flag
The National flag of Malaysia has 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers.
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note: the design is based on the flag of the US
The National Anthem
| Title | "Negaraku" (My Country) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER |
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note: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie," was originally the anthem of Perak, one of Malaysia's 13 states
More about the government of Malaysia
| Date of Independence | 31 August 1957 (from the UK) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day (or Merdeka Day), 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day, 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957 |
| Amendments | Proposed as a bill by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in the bill’s second and third readings; a number of constitutional sections are excluded from amendment or repeal; amended many times, last in 2019 |
| 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 | King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (since 31 January 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 25 November 2022) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king |
| Elections/appointments | king elected by and from the hereditary rulers of 9 states for a 5-year term; election is on a rotational basis among rulers of the 9 states; election last held on 24 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2028 with installation in January 2029); prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of: Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms) House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) |
| Elections | Senate - appointed House of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027) |
| Election results | Senate - appointed; composition - men 51, women 10, percentage women 16.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - PH 37.5%, PN 30.4%, BN 22.4%, GPS 4%, WARISAN 1.8%, GRS 1.3%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2; composition - 192 men, 30 women; percentage women 13.5%; total Parliament percentage women 9.2% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Federal Court (consists of the chief justice, president of the Court of Appeal, chief justice of the High Court of Malaya, chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, 8 judges, and 1 "additional" judge); note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts |
| Judge selection and term of office | Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 66 with the possibility of a single 6-month extension |
| Subordinate courts | Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Mohamed NAZRI Bin Abdul Aziz (since 19 April 2023) |
| Chancery | 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 572-9700 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 572-9882 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home |
| Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024) |
| Embassy | 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur |
| Mailing address | 4210 Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC 20521-4210 |
| Telephone | [60] (3) 2168-5000 |
| FAX | [60] (3) 2142-2207 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://my.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Gunung Mulu National Park (n); Kinabalu Park (n); Malacca and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (c); Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Malaysia
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Malaysia
Want to know more about Malaysia? Check all different factbooks for Malaysia below.
