Data code: MY
Government type:
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
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions:
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
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from United Kingdom)
National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)
Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963
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
Executive branch:
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
Legislative branch:
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister
Political parties and leaders:
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]
International organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Dato' GHAZZALI Sheikh Abdul Khalid
chancery:
2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 328-2700
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-7661
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the United States:
chief of mission:
Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
embassy:
376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address:
P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur; American Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
telephone:
[60] (3) 2168-5000
FAX:
[60] (3) 242-2207
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 fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the United States
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