MALAYSIAN PARLIAMENTARY

SYSTEM

PREPARED BY:
DR. FAIZAH MOHD FAKHRUDDIN

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 Parliament of Malaysia

Dewan Rakyat Yang Di Pertuan

Dewan
(House of Agong
Negara
Representatives/
(the Senates)
Members of
Parliament)

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The system of government in Malaysia is closely
modelled on that of the Westminster parliamentary
system, a legacy of British colonial rule. Since
independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by a
multi-party coalition known as the Barisan Nasional
(formerly known as the Alliance Party).

Legislative power is divided between federal and state

legislatures. The Parliament of Malaysia is the national
legislature of Malaysia. It consists of the Dewan Rakyat
(House of Representatives or literally People's Hall, in
Malay) and the Dewan Negara (Nation's Hall in Malay;
however, it is commonly referred to as the Senate).

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Members of the Dewan Rakyat are known as members of
Parliament (MPs) while members of the Dewan Negara
are called senators.

A general election is held every 5 years to elect

representatives to the Dewan Rakyat; members of the
Dewan Negara, like those of the House of Lords in the
United Kingdom, are appointed.
The Parliament assembles in the
Malaysian Houses of Parliament,
located in the national capital city
of Kuala Lumpur.
 1) DEWAN RAKYAT
⬗ The Dewan Rakyat (literally "Hall of the People") or
House of Representatives is the lower house of the
Parliament of Malaysia.
⬗ All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan
Rakyat and the Dewan Negara (the Senate), before
they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong (Monarch).
⬗ Members of the Dewan Rakyat are often referred to as
Members of Parliament or MPs. Like the Dewan
Negara, the Dewan Rakyat meets at the Malaysian
Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

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 Besides the Parliament at the federal level, each state
has a unicameral state legislative chamber (Malay:
Dewan Undangan Negeri) whose members are
elected from single-member constituencies.

Parliamentary elections are held at least once every

five years, with the last general election being in 9th
May 2018.

Registered voters of age 18 and above may vote for

the members of the House of Representatives and, in
most of the states, for the state legislative chamber as
well.

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Executive power is vested in the cabinet led by the prime
minister; the Malaysian constitution stipulates that the
Prime Minister must be a member of the lower house of
parliament who, in the opinion of the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong, commands a majority in parliament.

The cabinet is chosen from among members of both

houses of Parliament and is responsible to that body.
 State governments are led by Chief Ministers
(Menteri Besar in Malay states or Ketua Menteri in
states without hereditary rulers), who are state
assembly members from the majority party in the
Dewan Undangan Negeri.

In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the

Chief Minister is required to be a Malay-Muslim,
although this rule is subject to the rulers' discretion.

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 2) DEWAN NEGARA
⬗ The Dewan Negara (literally "National Hall") or
Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of
Malaysia.

⬗ The Senate consists of 70 members. All 70 Senators

sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state
assemblies, two representing the federal territory of
Kuala Lumpur, one each from federal territories of
Labuan and Putrajaya, and 40 are appointed by the
king.

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 ⬗ Each of the 13 state legislative assemblies chooses
2 Senators. The term of office is 3 years and
Senators can only be re-elected once,
consecutively or non-consecutively.

⬗ The King appoints two Senators for the Federal

Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and one respectively
for the Federal Territories of Labuan and
Putrajaya on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Another 40 Senators, regardless of their states,
are appointed by the King, also on the Prime
Minister's advice.

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 ⬗ The Senate reviews legislation that has been passed
by the lower house of Parliament, the Dewan
Rakyat; both meet at the Houses of Parliament in
the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Both houses must
pass a bill before it can be sent to the King for royal
assent; however, if the Dewan Negara rejects a bill, it
can only delay the bill's passage by a year (at the
most) before it is sent to the King.
⬗ Originally, the Senate was meant to act as a check on
the Dewan Rakyat, and also to represent the
interests of the various states. However, the original
Constitution which provided for a majority of state-
elected Senators has since been modified to make
those appointed by the King in the majority.

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 3) Yang di pertuan agong
⬗ Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective
monarchy. The federal head of state of Malaysia is
the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as
the King of Malaysia.

⬗ The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected to a five-year

term among the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay
states; the other four states, which have titular
Governors, do not participate in the selection.

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 ⬗ Malaysia has 9 sultans and each takes turn to rule for
5 years as a king, signing legislation into law and
appointing judges but always on the premier's advice.

⬗ A symbolic role, the king embodies Malaysia's

heritage as a collection of Muslim kingdoms and also
serves as titular head of the armed forces and keeper
of the official religion, Islam.

⬗ In Malaysia's constitutional monarchy, the role of

the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is largely ceremonial.

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 ⬗ The constitution specifies that the executive power of the
Federal government is vested in the King and is exercised
by him on the advice of the federal Council of Ministers.
The latter is headed by the Prime Minister appointed by
the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from among the elected
members of Parliament.

⬗ Since 1993, the full title in Malay has been, Seri Paduka
Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Conqueror Majesty The
Supreme Lord of the Federation).

⬗ Prior to that, the honorific Ke Bawah Duli Yang Maha

Mulia (The Dust Under The Feet Of His Royal Highness)
was also used. The consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
is called the Raja Permaisuri Agong. The couple are
addressed in English as "His Majesty" and "Her Majesty".

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 ⬗ The current (16th) YDPA is Al-Sultan Abdullah
Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni
Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in
Billah.
⬗ He replaced Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan,
who abdicated on 6 January 2019.
⬗ He was elected on 24th January 2019, at a special
meeting of the Conference of Rulers where he
took the oath of office and was sworn in at the
Istana Negara on 31st January 2019.
⬗ The five-year rotational constitutional monarchy
practised in Malaysia is one of its kind in the
world.

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 “
Malaysia, with God’s blessing, shall
be forever sovereign democratic &
independent state founded upon the
principles of liberty & justice & ever
seeking the welfare & happiness of
its people & the maintenance of a
just peace among all nations.”

-Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj-

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 Thanks!

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