u Syed
Putra Jamalullail elected paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers
of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 12
December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan
Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed
by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan
Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199,
DAP 12, PAS 6, Keadilan 1, independent 1
elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next
must be held by 2009)

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

Political parties and leaders:
ruling-coalition National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN,
consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party
or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal
Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese
Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy
VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti
Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka
Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti
Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti
Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's
Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam];
United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi];
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan
Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK];
People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or
PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP
[William MAWANI]; opposition parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti
Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party