nment: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since
31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul
Razak (since 7 January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers
of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held on 3
November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated
from among the members of the House of Representatives; following
legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins a plurality
of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler
note: position of paramount ruler is primarily ceremonial; in
practice, selection is based on principle of rotation among rulers
of states

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara
(70 seats; 44 appointed by paramount ruler, 26 elected by 13 state
legislatures; to serve three-year terms with limit of two terms) and
House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2008
(next to be held by March 2013)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN
coalition 50.3%, opposition parties 46.8%, others 2.9%; seats - BN
coalition 140, opposition parties 82

Judicial branch:

Civil Courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of
Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in
states of Borneo (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the
advice of the prime minister); Sharia Courts include Sharia Appeal
Court, Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at
state-level and deal with religious and family matters such as
custody, divorce, and inheritance, only for Muslims; decisions of
Sharia courts cannot be appealed to civil courts

Political parties and leaders:

National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (ruling coalition) consists
of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [KOH
Tsu Koon - acting]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal
Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese
Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy
VELLU]; Parti Bers