held NA 2004); 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 TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni
Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah elected paramount ruler; Sultan
MIZAN Zainal Abidin ibni A-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
elected deputy paramount ruler

Legislative branch: 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
to be held 3 November 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: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the paramount
ruler on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders: State Reform Party or STAR [PATAV
Rubis]; Democratic Action Party or DAP ; Gerakan Rakyat
Malaysia ; Liberal Democratic Party ;
Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA ; Malaysian
Indian Congress or MIC ; National Front or NF [MAHATHIR
bin Mohamad] (a coalition of 14 political parties, dominated by the
UMNO, and including the UPKO, SAPP, and the Liberal Democratic Party);
National Justice Party or NJP ; Parti Akar
; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Datuk
Leo MOGGIE]; Parti Bersekutu ; Parti Islam SeMalaysia
or PAS ; Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or
PBB ; Sabah People's
Progressive Party or SAPP ; Sabah People's United Party
(Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) or PBRS ; Sarawak
National Party or SNAP ; Sarawak United
People's Party or SUPP ; United
Kadazan People's Organization or UPKO (formerly Parti Demokratik
Sabah) ; United Malays National Organization or UMNO
; United Sabah Party (main opposition party) (Parti Bersatu
Sabah) or PBS
note: subsequent to the election, the following parties were dissolved
- Spirit of '46 or Semangat '46
and Sabah United Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah) or PBS [Datuk Seri Joseph
PAIRIN Kitingan]

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,