Malaysia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Malaysia, it was devised in the early 19th century by British geographers; the suffix -sia was added to the name of the Malay people to form a classical-style name; the name Malay may come from the Tamil word malai, meaning "mountain". The Government system in this country is the federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya
National symbols
Tiger, hibiscus.
The flag
The National flag of Malaysia has 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner has a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often called Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status of the 13 member states and the federal government; the points on the star represent the unity among these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people, and yellow is the royal color.
Info
note: the design is based on the US flag
The National Anthem
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Info
More about the government of Malaysia
| Date of Independence | 31 August 1957 (from the UK) |
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| National holiday | Independence Day (or Merdeka Day), 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day, 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia) |
| Legal system | mixed system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; the Federal Court can review legislative acts at the request of the supreme head of the federation |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957 |
| Amendment process | Proposed as a bill by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in the bill’s second and third readings; a number of constitutional sections are excluded from amendment or repeal |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Malaysia |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 out 12 years preceding application |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (since 31 January 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 24 November 2022) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king |
| Election/appointment process | king elected by and from the hereditary rulers of 9 states for a 5-year term; election is on a rotational basis among rulers of the 9 states; prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who has support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister |
| Most recent election date | 24 October 2023 |
| Expected date of next election | October 2028, with inauguration in January 2029 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament (Parlimen) |
| Legislative structure | Bicameral |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Federal Court (consists of the chief justice, president of the Court of Appeal, chief justice of the High Court of Malaya, chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, 8 judges, and 1 "additional" judge) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 66 with the possibility of a single 6-month extension |
| Subordinate courts | Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires KHAERIAH Zaehera Abd Kayyum (since 9 February 2025) |
| Chancery | 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 572-9700 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 572-9882 |
| Email address and website | mwwashington@kln.gov.my https://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home |
| Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024) |
| Embassy | 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur |
| Mailing address | 4210 Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC 20521-4210 |
| Telephone | [60] (3) 2168-5000 |
| FAX | [60] (3) 2142-2207 |
| Email address and website | KLACS@state.gov https://my.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Gunung Mulu National Park (n); Kinabalu Park (n); Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Melaka (c); Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (c); The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Malaysia
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Malaysia
Want to know more about Malaysia? Check all different factbooks for Malaysia below.
