12th Malaysian Parliament
Encyclopedia
The 12th Malaysian Parliament is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Malaysia, the Parliament
, comprising the directly elected lower house, the Dewan Rakyat
, and the appointed upper house, the Dewan Negara
. It is scheduled to meet at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament
from 28 April 2008 until the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
next dissolves Parliament, or 29 April 2013, when it will automatically dissolve itself under the Constitution of Malaysia
.
The 12th Parliament was the first to meet where the governing Barisan Nasional
coalition does not have a 2/3 supermajority
in the Dewan Rakyat necessary to amend the Constitution. In the 2008 general election
, opposition parties won a record 82 of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, quadrupling the share they held previously. On April 1, leaders from Parti Keadilan Rakyat
, the Democratic Action Party
and PAS announced the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat
, a coalition comprising the three main opposition parties in Parliament. They also announced that Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
, president of PKR, would be the new Leader of the Opposition, making her the first woman to assume the post. The 12th Parliament was also the first to have regular live broadcasts of Dewan Rakyat debates on national public television, and saw the first instance of a supply bill approved by division
instead of a voice vote
. In June 2008, the two Members of Parliament from the Sabah Progressive Party
(SAPP, a BN component party) announced they would be filing a motion of no confidence
against the Prime Minister, a first in Malaysian Parliamentary history.
announced that 30 minutes of each question time
would be broadcast live on public television, with the possibility of a complete broadcast if demand was sufficient. Wan Azizah became the first woman leader of the opposition, with 24 women MPs total, 10 from the opposition ranks. Meanwhile, for the first time two chief ministers of opposition states—Lim Guan Eng
of Penang
and Khalid Ibrahim of Selangor
—would also sit as members of the Dewan Rakyat. A record number of Indian Malaysians, 10, sit in the Dewan Rakyat, while 99 of the 222 members of the Dewan Rakyat are first-time MPs. The Speaker and all his deputies, for the first time, hailed from East Malaysia
.
nominated Tan Seng Giaw
for one of the two posts. The election of the Speaker had been unanimous, as no other candidates were nominated. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
received 157 votes, while Ronald Kiandee
obtained 140 votes. Tan came in third with 81 votes.
After the MPs were sworn in on the first day of the first session of the Dewan Rakyat, all except Opposition Leader Wan Azizah received personal invitations for them and their spouses to attend the official opening of Parliament by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Mizan Zainal Abidin the next day. Wan Azizah demanded an explanation as to why she only received a letter, and why her husband Anwar Ibrahim
, a controversial former Deputy Prime Minister and now the de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat, was not officially invited to attend the ceremony. They later received an official invitation; Anwar's attendance the following day was the first time he had been in the Houses of Parliament since his sacking in 1998.
The first full day Parliament sat was fraught with controversy. Karpal Singh
of the DAP delayed proceedings by protesting that several MPs had not been validly sworn in because they had not raised their right hands, a claim the Speaker rejected. Karpal subsequently exchanged heated words with Bung Mokhtar Radin
, calling him "big foot", with Bung retorting that he was a "big monkey". During question time, the Speaker gave one question for the Prime Minister to Razali Ibrahim
and refused to permit supplementary follow-up questions, a decision Lim Kit Siang denounced as "making a mockery" of the House, branding it as part of "a conspiracy to silent the opposition MPs". After the Prime Minister personally intervened, the Speaker permitted Abdul Hadi Awang
of PAS
to ask one follow-up question. Azmin Ali of PKR also protested the Speaker's allocation of questions, arguing that as Leader of the Opposition, Wan Azizah had the right to first ask the Prime Minister a question, and that BN backbenchers received a disproportionate number of questions.
The controversial debate led Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek
to suggest that the government would review live broadcasts of the first 30 minutes of question time because "it was misused to seek cheap publicity and raise trivial matters". He later said that he would propose to the Cabinet that plans to broadcast future question times be shelved. In response, Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi said it was too early to make a firm decision about the future of live broadcasts: "I feel the government should determine if this is a first-day phenomenon or if it will continue." Prime Minister Abdullah also called for the cancellation of the live broadcasts, but the Cabinet decided to continue them for the time being.
On 28 May, controversy arose in the Dewan Rakyat after Pakatan Rakyat MPs protested that the outcome of a voice vote
on part of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2008 (2007) had been unclear. Some observers suggested that the number of Pakatan Rakyat MPs in the chamber at the time had actually exceeded the number of Barisan Nasional MPs, indicating that the motion could actually have failed. After fifteen of the PR MPs requested a recorded vote, the Deputy Speaker announced a division on the question of the motion, a first in living memory. Many BN MPs were forced to rush to the chamber to vote, including the Prime Minister; the motion ultimately passed, 92 in favour and 60 against. Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein
later criticised the request for a division, saying that "all the fuss from them (opposition MPs) is just to disturb and disrupt the proceedings". PKR whip Azmin Ali however called the vote a moral victory for the opposition, saying "This is the first I have seen the prime minister running into the House."
As the first sitting of the Dewan Rakyat neared its close at the end of May, The Malaysian Insider pronounced that it was "a different House for all who enter," citing how now Cabinet members' lives revolved around Parliamentary sessions, with Ministers being forced to attend to answer questions and participate in votes.
and Eric Enchin Majimbun, both MPs from the Sabah Progressive Party
(SAPP, a BN component) announced they would be supporting a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister the following Monday (23 June 2008), citing the federal government's failure to control illegal immigration into Sabah, poor economic management and a loss of confidence in Abdullah's leadership. The party president, Yong Teck Lee
, suggested the party could quit the BN coalition by the end of the week.
Former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang of the DAP expressed doubt about the motion's viability, saying "There is no provision for a no-confidence motion under the standing orders." As of 18 June 2008, there is no provision for whether a simple majority or a 2/3 supermajority is required to pass a motion of no confidence. Since the motion would not be privileged in the agenda of the Dewan Rakyat, for it to be debated on Monday the government would have to set aside its scheduled business. In addition, the Standing Orders require the house to be given advance notice of any motions, ordinary or substantive. Lim suggested that the only way the motion could be tabled and debated on Monday was if the Speaker ruled it was a "substantive and extraordinary" motion, giving it precedence over other business in the Order Paper.
's seat was officially filled in by her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
, after he claimed victory over UMNO candidate Arif Shah in Permatang Pauh. With his entrance into Parliament, Anwar Ibrahim
will become the Opposition Leader.
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
, comprising the directly elected lower house, the Dewan Rakyat
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
, and the appointed upper house, the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
. It is scheduled to meet at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament
Malaysian Houses of Parliament
The Malaysian Houses of Parliament is a building complex where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. The structure is located at the Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, right next to the Malaysian National Monument.-Description:...
from 28 April 2008 until the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
next dissolves Parliament, or 29 April 2013, when it will automatically dissolve itself under the Constitution of Malaysia
Constitution of Malaysia
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957, is the supreme law of Malaysia. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation...
.
The 12th Parliament was the first to meet where the governing Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
coalition does not have a 2/3 supermajority
Supermajority
A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority . In some jurisdictions, for example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority...
in the Dewan Rakyat necessary to amend the Constitution. In the 2008 general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
, opposition parties won a record 82 of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, quadrupling the share they held previously. On April 1, leaders from Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
, the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
and PAS announced the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....
, a coalition comprising the three main opposition parties in Parliament. They also announced that Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is a Malaysian politician. She is currently the president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and she was the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh from 1999 to 2008. She was also the Leader of Opposition in Dewan Rakyat from March 2008 until 31 July 2008...
, president of PKR, would be the new Leader of the Opposition, making her the first woman to assume the post. The 12th Parliament was also the first to have regular live broadcasts of Dewan Rakyat debates on national public television, and saw the first instance of a supply bill approved by division
Division (vote)
In parliamentary procedure, a division of the assembly is a voting method in which the members of the assembly take a rising vote or go to different parts of the chamber, literally dividing into groups indicating a vote in favour of or in opposition to a motion on the floor...
instead of a voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
. In June 2008, the two Members of Parliament from the Sabah Progressive Party
Sabah Progressive Party
The Sabah Progressive Party is a political party based in Sabah, East Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee from Parti Bersatu Sabah . Formerly a component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially...
(SAPP, a BN component party) announced they would be filing a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
against the Prime Minister, a first in Malaysian Parliamentary history.
Dates of sessions
April 28, 2008–present.- First sitting of the Dewan Rakyat: 28 April 2008–27 May 2008
- First sitting of the Dewan Negara: 29 April 2008
- Second sitting of the Dewan Negara: 26 May 2008–4 June 2008
Events
The 12th Parliament set a number of firsts in Malaysian history, in addition to being the first where the Barisan Nasional government sat without its customary 2/3 majority in the Dewan Rakyat. New Information Minister Ahmad Shabery CheekAhmad Shabery Cheek
YB. Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek is a Malaysian politician. He is the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Barisan Nasional coalition government, and sits in Parliament as the member for Kemaman, Terengganu...
announced that 30 minutes of each question time
Question Time
Question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers , which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be cancelled in exceptional circumstances...
would be broadcast live on public television, with the possibility of a complete broadcast if demand was sufficient. Wan Azizah became the first woman leader of the opposition, with 24 women MPs total, 10 from the opposition ranks. Meanwhile, for the first time two chief ministers of opposition states—Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party . He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008....
of Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and Khalid Ibrahim of Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
—would also sit as members of the Dewan Rakyat. A record number of Indian Malaysians, 10, sit in the Dewan Rakyat, while 99 of the 222 members of the Dewan Rakyat are first-time MPs. The Speaker and all his deputies, for the first time, hailed from East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
.
First sitting
The election of the Deputy Speakers sparked a minor controversy, as Lim Kit Siang of the opposition Democratic Action PartyDemocratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
nominated Tan Seng Giaw
Tan Seng Giaw
Tan Seng Giaw is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party. He was born on 26 May 1942 in Kota Baru, Kelantan. After attending Primary and High School in Kelantan and Penang respectively, he furthered his education at Plymouth College and Leeds University, England...
for one of the two posts. The election of the Speaker had been unanimous, as no other candidates were nominated. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
Datuk Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Santubong constituency in Sarawak, representing the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and sitting as a Deputy Speaker of the House...
received 157 votes, while Ronald Kiandee
Ronald Kiandee
Datuk Ronald Kiandee is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Beluran constituency in Sabah, representing the United Malay National Organisation party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition...
obtained 140 votes. Tan came in third with 81 votes.
After the MPs were sworn in on the first day of the first session of the Dewan Rakyat, all except Opposition Leader Wan Azizah received personal invitations for them and their spouses to attend the official opening of Parliament by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
Mizan Zainal Abidin the next day. Wan Azizah demanded an explanation as to why she only received a letter, and why her husband Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
, a controversial former Deputy Prime Minister and now the de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat, was not officially invited to attend the ceremony. They later received an official invitation; Anwar's attendance the following day was the first time he had been in the Houses of Parliament since his sacking in 1998.
The first full day Parliament sat was fraught with controversy. Karpal Singh
Karpal Singh
Karpal Singh is a Malaysian lawyer and politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the neighbourhood of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang since 2004...
of the DAP delayed proceedings by protesting that several MPs had not been validly sworn in because they had not raised their right hands, a claim the Speaker rejected. Karpal subsequently exchanged heated words with Bung Mokhtar Radin
Bung Mokhtar Radin
Datuk Bung Mokhtar bin Radin is a Malaysian politician. He is a member of United Malays National Organisation and also Member of the Malaysian Parliament for the constituency of Kinabatangan, Sabah.- "Bocor" remark :...
, calling him "big foot", with Bung retorting that he was a "big monkey". During question time, the Speaker gave one question for the Prime Minister to Razali Ibrahim
Razali Ibrahim
Datuk Razali Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Muar constituency in the State of Johor. He is the Vice Youth Chief of the United Malay National Organisation party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition.Razali was elected to...
and refused to permit supplementary follow-up questions, a decision Lim Kit Siang denounced as "making a mockery" of the House, branding it as part of "a conspiracy to silent the opposition MPs". After the Prime Minister personally intervened, the Speaker permitted Abdul Hadi Awang
Abdul Hadi Awang
Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Hadi bin Awang is the current President of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia, an Islamist political party in Malaysia...
of PAS
PAS (political party)
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party commonly known as PAS or Pas, is an Islamist political party in Malaysia and is currently headed by Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang...
to ask one follow-up question. Azmin Ali of PKR also protested the Speaker's allocation of questions, arguing that as Leader of the Opposition, Wan Azizah had the right to first ask the Prime Minister a question, and that BN backbenchers received a disproportionate number of questions.
The controversial debate led Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Ahmad Shabery Cheek
YB. Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek is a Malaysian politician. He is the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Barisan Nasional coalition government, and sits in Parliament as the member for Kemaman, Terengganu...
to suggest that the government would review live broadcasts of the first 30 minutes of question time because "it was misused to seek cheap publicity and raise trivial matters". He later said that he would propose to the Cabinet that plans to broadcast future question times be shelved. In response, Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi said it was too early to make a firm decision about the future of live broadcasts: "I feel the government should determine if this is a first-day phenomenon or if it will continue." Prime Minister Abdullah also called for the cancellation of the live broadcasts, but the Cabinet decided to continue them for the time being.
On 28 May, controversy arose in the Dewan Rakyat after Pakatan Rakyat MPs protested that the outcome of a voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
on part of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2008 (2007) had been unclear. Some observers suggested that the number of Pakatan Rakyat MPs in the chamber at the time had actually exceeded the number of Barisan Nasional MPs, indicating that the motion could actually have failed. After fifteen of the PR MPs requested a recorded vote, the Deputy Speaker announced a division on the question of the motion, a first in living memory. Many BN MPs were forced to rush to the chamber to vote, including the Prime Minister; the motion ultimately passed, 92 in favour and 60 against. Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein
Hishammuddin Hussein
Datuk Seri Panglima Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein is a Malaysian politician and member of the United Malays National Organisation . He is the current Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs. He is the former Minister of Education, having served from 2004 to 2009. He has been mentioned as a likely...
later criticised the request for a division, saying that "all the fuss from them (opposition MPs) is just to disturb and disrupt the proceedings". PKR whip Azmin Ali however called the vote a moral victory for the opposition, saying "This is the first I have seen the prime minister running into the House."
As the first sitting of the Dewan Rakyat neared its close at the end of May, The Malaysian Insider pronounced that it was "a different House for all who enter," citing how now Cabinet members' lives revolved around Parliamentary sessions, with Ministers being forced to attend to answer questions and participate in votes.
No-confidence vote
On 18 June 2008, Chua Soon BuiChua Soon Bui
Datuk Chua Soon Bui is a Malaysian politician. She is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Tawau constituency in Sabah. She is a member of the Sabah Progressive Party , which sits on the crossbenches of Parliament....
and Eric Enchin Majimbun, both MPs from the Sabah Progressive Party
Sabah Progressive Party
The Sabah Progressive Party is a political party based in Sabah, East Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee from Parti Bersatu Sabah . Formerly a component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially...
(SAPP, a BN component) announced they would be supporting a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister the following Monday (23 June 2008), citing the federal government's failure to control illegal immigration into Sabah, poor economic management and a loss of confidence in Abdullah's leadership. The party president, Yong Teck Lee
Yong Teck Lee
Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee is a Malaysian politician of Hakka Chinese descent. He is a former Chief Minister of Sabah and is currently the president of the Sabah Progressive Party .-Political History:...
, suggested the party could quit the BN coalition by the end of the week.
Former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang of the DAP expressed doubt about the motion's viability, saying "There is no provision for a no-confidence motion under the standing orders." As of 18 June 2008, there is no provision for whether a simple majority or a 2/3 supermajority is required to pass a motion of no confidence. Since the motion would not be privileged in the agenda of the Dewan Rakyat, for it to be debated on Monday the government would have to set aside its scheduled business. In addition, the Standing Orders require the house to be given advance notice of any motions, ordinary or substantive. Lim suggested that the only way the motion could be tabled and debated on Monday was if the Speaker ruled it was a "substantive and extraordinary" motion, giving it precedence over other business in the Order Paper.
Composition
| Dewan Negara | |
| Mode of Appointment | Seats |
| By King | 44 |
| By State Rep. | 26 |
| Total | 70 |
Dewan Negara
- The President: Abdul Hamid PawantehAbdul Hamid PawantehTan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh is a former Malaysian politician. He was the President of the Malaysian Senate from 2003 to 2009, and was the Chief Minister of the State of Perlis from 1986 to 1995....
- Vice President: Wong Foon MengWong Foon MengDato' Wong Foon Meng, Malaysian engineer & ex politician, is a former President of the Malaysian Senate and a former member of the State Legislative Assembly of Terengganu from 1995 to 1999...
Dewan Rakyat
- SpeakerSpeaker of the Dewan RakyatThe Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat is the presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. He is responsible for convening sessions of the Dewan Rakyat, organising debates, and examining the admissibility of petitions, bills and amendments.In the absence of the...
: Pandikar Amin MuliaPandikar Amin MuliaTan Sri Datuk Seri Utama Pandikar Amin bin Haji Mulia is a Malaysian politician and the current Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. He was previously a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department... - Deputy Speakers: Wan Junaidi Tuanku JaafarWan Junaidi Tuanku JaafarDatuk Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Santubong constituency in Sarawak, representing the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and sitting as a Deputy Speaker of the House...
and Ronald KiandeeRonald KiandeeDatuk Ronald Kiandee is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Beluran constituency in Sabah, representing the United Malay National Organisation party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition...
Government (Barisan Nasional) leadership
- Prime MinisterPrime Minister of MalaysiaThe Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
: Najib Tun RazakNajib Tun RazakDato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United... - Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of MalaysiaDeputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
: Muhyiddin YassinMuhyiddin YassinTan Sri Muhyiddin bin Yassin is a Malaysian politician and the current Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education. He is also the Deputy President of the United Malays National Organisation , the main component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.Muhyiddin grew up in the state... - Chief WhipChief Whip (Malaysia)The Chief Whip in Malaysia is the Member of Parliament from the governing party who ensures each MP votes in accordance with the party line when necessary. The office of the Chief Whip exists only in the lower house of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat...
: Mohamed Nazri Abdul AzizMohamed Nazri Abdul AzizDato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation , and is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs. In June 2005 Nazri caused controversy when he shouted the phrase "bloody racist" 28... - Chairman of the Backbenchers Club: Tiong King SingTiong King SingDatuk Seri Tiong King Sing is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Bintulu constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition....
- Deputy Chairman of the Backbenchers Club: Bung Mokhtar RadinBung Mokhtar RadinDatuk Bung Mokhtar bin Radin is a Malaysian politician. He is a member of United Malays National Organisation and also Member of the Malaysian Parliament for the constituency of Kinabatangan, Sabah.- "Bocor" remark :...
Opposition (Pakatan Rakyat) leadership
- Leader of the Opposition: Lim Kit Siang (as of 10.03.2010)
- PKR Chief Whip: Azmin Ali
- Parliamentary Leader of Democratic Action PartyDemocratic Action PartyThe Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
: Lim Guan EngLim Guan EngLim Guan Eng is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party . He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008.... - PAS Leader : Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi AwangAbdul Hadi AwangDato' Seri Haji Abdul Hadi bin Awang is the current President of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia, an Islamist political party in Malaysia...
Changes in membership
On 26 August 2008, Wan Azizah Wan IsmailWan Azizah Wan Ismail
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is a Malaysian politician. She is currently the president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and she was the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh from 1999 to 2008. She was also the Leader of Opposition in Dewan Rakyat from March 2008 until 31 July 2008...
's seat was officially filled in by her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
, after he claimed victory over UMNO candidate Arif Shah in Permatang Pauh. With his entrance into Parliament, Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
will become the Opposition Leader.