bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of
nonelected Senate or Dewan Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the
paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the
House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (193 seats; members elected
by popular vote weighted toward the rural Malay population to serve
five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 29 November 1999
(next must be held by 20 December 2004)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NF 56%, other 44%; seats by party - NF 148, PAS 27, DAP 10,
NJP 5, PBS 3

Judicial branch: Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount
ruler on the advice of the prime minister)

Political parties and leaders: Alternative Coalition or Barisan
Alternatif-BA (includes the following parties: Party Islam
Se-Malaysia or PAS [FADZIL Mohamad Noor], National Justice Party or
NJP [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail], Democratic Action Party or DAP [LIM Kit
Siang], and Malaysian People's Party or PRM [SYED HUSIN]); National
Front or NF (ruling coalition dominated by the United Malays
National Organization or UMNO [MAHATHIR bin Mohammad], includes the
following parties: Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC [S. Samy VELLU],
Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA [LING Liong Sik], Gerakan
Rakyat Malaysia or Gerakan [LIM Keng Yaik], Parti Pesaka Bumiputra
Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud], Parti Angkatan
Keadilan Rakyat Bersatu or Akar [PANDIKAR Amin Mulia], Parti Bangsa
Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Leo MOGGIE], Sarawak United People's Party or
SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam], Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [CHONG
Kah Kiat], Sabah Progressive Party or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee], People's
Progressive Party or PPP [M. KAYVEAS], Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or
PBRS [Joseph KURUP], Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Amar James
WONG], Parti Demokratik Sabah or PDS [leader NA], and United Pasok
Momogun Kadazan Organization or UPKO (state level only) [Bernard
DOMPOK]); Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti
Bersekutu [HARRIS Salleh]; State Reform Party of Sarawak or STAR
[PATAU Rubis]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN,
BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNM