things to know about malaysia-1

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, a federal optional. President of the Federal State in Malaysia is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, known as the King of Malaysia. And Yang Di-Pertuan Agong is elected for a five-year term from among the nine hereditary sultans of the Malay states. While the other four states, did not participate in the selection as they were lead by Governors instead of sultans.

System of government in Malaysia is very much inspired by the Westminster parliamentary system, the legacy of British colonial rule. Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislative bodies. Bicameral Parliament consists of the lower chamber, the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat and the upper house or Senate or Dewan Negara . 222-member House of Representatives are elected from single member districts, which are created based on population, for a maximum period of five years.

Executive power rests with the government of Prime Minister and the Malaysian constitution provides that the Prime Minister must be a member of the lower house of parliament, which in the opinion of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commands a majority in parliament. Cabinet is chosen from members of both houses of Parliament and is responsible for that authority.

Malaysia consists of 13 states (11 in peninsular Malaysia and 2 in Malaysian Borneo) and 3 federal territories. 4 9 states resided in the Peninsular were headed by sultan while the rest were headed by governors. As Malaysia is a federation, the governance of the country is divided between the federal and the state governmentsts

States governments are led by chief ministers (Menteri Besar in the Malay States or Ketua Menteri in states without hereditary rulers), the state Assembly, the majority party in the Dewan Negeri Undangan. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister must be a Malay Muslim, although this rule applies to the discretion of rulers.

Since its independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by multiparty coalition known as Barisan Nasional .