Dewan Rakyat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids House of RepresentativesDewan Rakyat |
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|---|---|
| 15th Parliament | |
 |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
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Speaker
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Johari Abdul, PH-PKR
Since 19 December 2022 |
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Deputy Speaker I
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Ramli Mohd Nor, BN-UMNO
Since 19 December 2022 |
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Deputy Speaker II
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Alice Lau, PH-DAP
Since 19 December 2022 |
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Secretary
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Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin
Since 13 May 2020 |
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Deputy Prime Minister I
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Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, BN-UMNO
Since 3 December 2022 |
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Deputy Prime Minister II
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Fadillah Yusof, GPS-PBB
Since 3 December 2022 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 222 |
 |
|
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Political groups
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(As of 24 January 2024)
Government (147)
BN (30)
GPS (23)
GRS (6)
WARISAN (3) KDM (1) PBM (1) Independent (2) Confidence and supply (6)
Opposition (69)
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| Committees |
5
Committee of Selection
Public Accounts Committee House Committee Committee of Privileges Standing Orders Committee |
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Length of term
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Up to 5 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
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Last election
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19 November 2022 |
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Next election
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By 17 February 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
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| Dewan Rakyat chamber Malaysian Houses of Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
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The Dewan Rakyat is like the "House of Representatives" in Malaysia. It's the main part of Malaysia's Parliament, which is the group that makes laws for the country. The Dewan Rakyat works alongside another group called the Dewan Negara, which is the "upper house." Both groups meet in the Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.
The Dewan Rakyat has 222 members, called Members of Parliament (MPs). People vote directly for these MPs in elections. Each MP represents a specific area in Malaysia. Once elected, an MP holds their seat for up to five years. After five years, new elections are held. The number of MPs from each state or territory is set by Malaysia's Constitution.
Even though both houses need to agree on new laws, the Dewan Rakyat has more power. It can usually pass laws even if the Dewan Negara doesn't agree right away. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet (a group of top government officials) are mainly responsible to the Dewan Rakyat. This means the Prime Minister needs the support of the Dewan Rakyat to stay in power.
Contents
How the Dewan Rakyat Started
The idea for the Dewan Rakyat began a long time ago, even before Malaysia became independent. Back then, there was a group called the Federal Legislative Council. Some members of this council were chosen by people voting.
In 1959, this council was replaced by the new Dewan Rakyat. The way people voted for members stayed the same. The number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat grew to 104, and all members were elected by the people. The first meeting of the new Parliament was on September 2, 1959.
When Malaysia was formed, some states like Sabah and Sarawak had a special arrangement. Their representatives were chosen by their state assemblies, not directly by the people. This changed later on.
In 1969, there were some public disagreements in Malaysia. Because of this, Parliament was paused for a while until 1971. When it reopened, the ruling group, which later became known as Barisan Nasional, gained strong support.
Who Can Be a Member?
Members of the Dewan Rakyat are called "Members of Parliament" or "Ahli Dewan Rakyat" in Malay. They keep their job as long as they win the elections.
To be an MP, a person must be at least 18 years old. This age limit was changed from 21 in 2019. An MP cannot also be a member of the Dewan Negara at the same time.
The person in charge of the Dewan Rakyat is called the Speaker. MPs choose the Speaker when a new Parliament starts or if the position becomes empty. There are also two Deputy Speakers who help the Speaker. A special officer called the Clerk of the House helps run the Dewan Rakyat. The King appoints this officer.
As of the 2018 general election, there are 222 elected members in the Dewan Rakyat. These members are chosen from different areas called "federal constituencies." The boundaries of these areas are checked and redrawn every ten years based on population changes.
Each Dewan Rakyat term lasts for a maximum of five years. After this, a new general election must be held. In a general election, voters pick one candidate to represent their area. The candidate who gets the most votes wins the seat. This is called the "first-past-the-post" system.
Before a general election can happen, the King must officially end the Parliament's term. The King usually does this based on the Prime Minister's advice. However, the King can choose whether or not to agree to end Parliament's term.
How the Dewan Rakyat Works
The Dewan Rakyat is the part of the government that makes laws. It is responsible for creating, changing, and removing laws. These laws are called "Acts of Parliament."
MPs have special rights when they speak in Parliament. They can talk about any topic without fear of being criticized outside Parliament. This freedom applies only when they are speaking inside the House. However, there are some rules. For example, MPs cannot discuss certain sensitive topics related to the Constitution. They also cannot criticize the King or judges.
The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are usually chosen from among the MPs. Most of them are members of the Dewan Rakyat. After an election, the King chooses the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the political party with the most seats in Parliament. The Prime Minister then suggests people to the King to become Cabinet Ministers. These Ministers must also be MPs.
If the Prime Minister loses the support of the Dewan Rakyat, they must either ask the King to hold a new election or resign. The King can decide whether to agree to a new election. If the King doesn't agree, the government must resign, and the King will appoint a new Prime Minister who has the support of most MPs.
The Cabinet creates government policies and writes new laws. All Cabinet members must agree with the decisions made by the Cabinet. If a Minister disagrees strongly, they must resign.
Making New Laws
A new law starts when a government minister or department writes a first draft. This draft is called a "bill." The Cabinet then discusses the bill. If they agree, the bill is given to all MPs.
The bill then goes through three "readings" in the Dewan Rakyat:
- The first reading is when the minister officially presents the bill.
- The second reading is when MPs discuss and debate the bill.
- The third reading is when MPs vote on whether to approve the bill.
Most bills need a simple majority of votes to pass. But for big changes, like to the Constitution, a two-thirds majority is needed.
If the bill passes in the Dewan Rakyat, it then goes to the Dewan Negara (the upper house) for the same three readings. The Dewan Negara can delay a bill, but it usually doesn't stop it completely. If the Dewan Negara doesn't pass a bill, it might just delay it for a month or up to a year. After that time, the bill is considered passed.
Once a bill passes both houses, it is sent to the King. The King has 30 days to review the bill. If the King doesn't agree, he can send it back to Parliament with suggestions for changes. Parliament then has 30 days to reconsider the bill. If they pass it again, the King has another 30 days to approve it. If the King doesn't approve it within that time, the bill still becomes a law. A new law only officially starts once it is published in the Government Gazette.
Sometimes, MPs only receive copies of bills a few days before they are debated. In some rare cases, a bill might even be debated and voted on all in the same day!
Special Chamber for Discussions
In 2016, a "Special Chamber" was created in the Dewan Rakyat. This chamber allows important or urgent topics to be discussed without stopping the main meetings of the House. Both government and opposition leaders supported this idea.
The Special Chamber was set up to discuss government matters or urgent public issues. It was inspired by parliaments in Australia and Britain. Some people have suggested expanding the Special Chamber so that the main Dewan Rakyat can focus only on the most important topics.
In 2023, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat announced that the Special Chamber would discuss more topics per session. Also, MPs from both the opposition and government sides would be allowed to lead discussions in the Special Chamber, not just the Speaker and Deputy Speakers.
See also
In Spanish: Dewan Rakyat para niños
Images for kids
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A chart showing the political groups in the Dewan Rakyat as of December 2022.
