Page 21 - The Guide To Malaysia 9th Edition

THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 17
A man of the people. His Majesty the Yang di- Pertuan Agong greeting Traffic Police Officers after officiating the Opening Ceremony of the Darul Kifayah Orphan Complex in Labuan.
Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah) is King and Head of State. He is chosen from Malaysia’s 9 hereditary rulers for a 5-year term based on
a rotation system.
Members
of the Lower House, the Dewan Rakyat, are elected under a first- past-the-post system with elections
service, both at federal and state levels.
The Prime Minister is either the parliamentary head of the party with the most seats in the Dewan Rakyat, or the member of the largest coalition partner who enjoys the support of the coalition as a whole
and the confidence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Prime Minister appoints and leads a cabinet of ministers.
Malaysia is made up of
13 states and 3 Federal Territories. Nine states have hereditary rulers (Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor), while the remaining four (Pulau Pinang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak), have governors known as Yang di-Pertua Negeri, who are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a 4-year term. All 13 states have their own State Legislative Assemblies
(with the largest sitting Buddha in Southeast Asia), as well as the Kek Lok Si
Temple in Penang, amongst others.
The famous Snake Temple in Penang and the ancient Cheng Hoong Teng Temple in Melaka stand out amongst the many Chinese
Temples. Fascinating churches include the Dutch-colonial Christ Church in Melaka and the neo-classical St George’s in Penang.
Government
Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy based on the Westminster Parliamentary System. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (currently Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al- Mustafa Billah Shah ibni
held every five years. Until recently, universal suffrage was available to citizens above 21. However, the voting age was reduced to 18 on 15 December 2021. At the same time, the introduction of automatic voter registration added 5.8 million
people to the electoral role, an increase of 40%. Members of the Upper House
or Senate, the Dewan Negara, are appointed
by the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong and the respective state governments. Malaysia is administered by a professional civil
Malaysia is transitioning rapidly to green energy. Solar arrays such as the one shown here are becoming a common sight in suburban and rural areas.