National holiday:
Independence Day/Malaysia 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 Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni
Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis (since 12
December 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since
31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister NA (since 31 October 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
election results: Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed
Putra Jamalullail elected paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers
of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 12
December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 the 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)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - BN 56%, other 44%; seats by party - BN 148, PAS 27, DAP 10,
Keadilan 5, PBS 3
elections: House of Representatives - last held 29 November 1999
(next must be held by November 2004)
Judicial branch:
Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the
advice of the prime minister)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling coalition parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM
[LIM Kheng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik
- Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese Association
(Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [LING Ong Ka Ting]; Malaysian
Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU];
Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Leo MOGGIE]; Parti Bersatu Sabah
or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or
PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Sabah Progressive Party
(Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United
People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [WONG Soon
Kah]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH Ahmad
Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization
(Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [leader
NA]; opposition parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan
Demokratik) or DAP [KERK Kim Hock]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti
Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; National Justice Party
(Parti Keadilan Nasional) or Keadilan [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael];
National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (the ruling coalition
dominated by the UMNO and includes MCA, MIC, PGRM, PBDS, SUPP, PBB,
PBS, LDP, SAPP, UPKO) [ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA,
UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO