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KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1957 Population: 28,859,000 (2011) GNI p.c.: US$8,770 (2011) UN HDI 2011: world ranking 61 Geography Area: 329,758 sq km Coastline: 4,680 km Capital: Kuala Lumpur Lying north of the equator in central South-East Asia, above Singapore and south of Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia is separated by about 540 km of the South China Sea from the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, which share the island of Borneo with Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. Malaysian islands include Labuan, Penang and the Langkawi Islands. The Federation of Malaysia comprises three federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan) and 13 states (Sabah, Sarawak and the 11 states of Peninsular Malaysia). The peninsular states are the nine sultanates of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu, plus Melaka and Penang. Constitution Status: National monarchy Legislature: Parliament of Malaysia Independence: 31 August 1957 Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy with a federal constitutional monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as Head of State. This monarch is chosen for a five-year term from among their own number by the nine hereditary rulers of Peninsular Malaysia. These rulers also elect a Timbalan (deputy) di-Pertuan Agong. The nine hereditary states are Perlis (ruled by the Raja), Negeri Sembilan (ruled by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar) and Kedah, Perak, Johor, Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan (ruled by Sultans). The Head of State in the four states that do not have hereditary rulers – Melaka, Pulau Pinang, Sabah and Sarawak – is the Yang di-Pertuan Negeri, or governor, and is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a four-year term. The federal parliament consists of two houses. The upper house, Dewan Negara (council of the nation or Senate), has 70 members, of whom 44 are appointed by the Yang di- Pertuan Agong and 26 are elected by the state legislatures (two each). The lower house, Dewan Rakyat (council of the people, more usually called House of Representatives), has 222 members who are directly elected by universal suffrage. The maximum life of the House of Representatives is five years; members of the Senate hold office for six years. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Prime Minister and, on the Prime Minister’s advice, the cabinet. Bills must be passed by both houses and assented to by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. A bill may originate in either house, with the exception of a money bill, which may not be introduced in the Senate. The Senate has the power to hold up for one year a bill which is not a money bill and which has been passed by the Dewan Rakyat. Each house regulates its own procedure and has control over its own proceedings, the validity of which may not be questioned in any court. A two-thirds majority of both houses is required before the constitution can be changed. Judicial system Supreme court: Federal Court Ministry: Attorney-General’s Chambers A justice system originally based on the British one operates in parallel with sharia courts. There have in recent years been proposals for reform of the judicial system, in order to give it more independence from government. The Federal Court is the supreme court; it is the final court of appeal, and it has exclusive jurisdiction in constitutional matters and in issues arising between states or between the federal government and states. High Courts are located in Peninsular Malaysia and in Sabah/Sarawak. Appeals arising from the High Courts come before the Court of Appeal. Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 199 Malaysia


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