Conventional long form: none Conventional short form: Malaysia Former: Federation of Malaysia
Government type:
Constitutional monarchy Note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats in House of Representatives and will hold 25 seats after the next election; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives
Capital:
Kuala Lumpur note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital; Parliament meets in 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:
31 August 1957 (from UK)
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
Legislative branch:
Bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) Elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009) Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199, DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister)
Political parties:
Ruling-coalition National Front or BN, consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP; Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA; Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS; Sabah Progressive Party or SAPP; Sarawak United People’s Party or SUPP; United Malays National Organization or UMNO; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization or UPKO; People’s Progressive Party or PPP; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP; Opposition parties: Democratic Action Party or DAP; Islamic Party of Malaysia or PAS; People’s Justice Party or PKR; Sarawak National Party or SNAP; Opposition coalition: Alternative Front or BA consists of PAS and PKR
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
