Government of Malaysia
Long Conventional Name
none
Short Conventional Name
Malaysia
Long Local Name
none
Short Local Name
Malaysia
Government Type
Constitutional Monarchy
Capital City
Kuala Lumpur
Administrative Divisions
13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.
Independence Day
Saturday, 31st August 1957
Constitutional History
31 August 1957 (amended many times, latest in 2007)
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 is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State
Paramount Ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (since 13 December 2006)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003)
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; 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 of the party that wins a plurality of seats in the House of Representatives becomes Prime Minister.
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by paramount ruler, 26 elected by 13 state legislatures; to serve three-year terms with limit of two terms) and House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - after next election House will have 222 seats.
Judical Branch
Civil Courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in states of Borneo (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister); Sharia Courts include Sharia Appeal Court, Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and deal with religious and family matters such as custody, divorce, and inheritance, only for Muslims; decisions of Sharia courts cannot be appealed to civil courts.
Flag Description
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 14-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US.
