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Leader of the Opposition
Coat of arms of Malaysia.svg
Hamzah Zainudin pada 2022.jpg
Incumbent
Hamzah Zainudin

since 10 December 2022
Style Yang Berhormat
(The Honourable)
Member of House of Representatives
Reports to Parliament
Appointer Dewan Rakyat
Term length 5 years or less, renewable once (while commanding the confidence of the lower house of Parliament with General Elections held no more than five years apart)
By convention, is held by the leader of the largest political party in the Dewan Rakyat that is not in government
Inaugural holder Burhanuddin al-Helmy
Formation 1959; 66 years ago (1959)

The Leader of the Opposition (Malay: Ketua Pembangkang) in Malaysian politics is a very important Member of Parliament. This person leads the biggest political party in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) that is not part of the government.

When Parliament meets, the Leader of the Opposition sits on the left side of the main table. They sit opposite the Prime Minister. The leader is chosen by their political party. A new leader is picked if the current one steps down or if their party decides to choose someone else.

What is the Leader of the Opposition's Role?

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy. This means it has a King or Queen, but the country is run by elected officials. It also has a parliamentary system, which is like a team of lawmakers. This system is based on the Westminster model, which is used in many countries.

In this system, the Opposition plays a key role. They are like a watchdog for the government. The Opposition looks closely at the government's plans and laws. They often point out what they think could be done better. They can also suggest their own ideas for new laws or how to spend money.

The Opposition's main job is to challenge the government. They try to make sure the government is doing a good job for the people. Because of this, the Opposition is sometimes called the 'government in waiting'. This means they are ready to take over if the current government loses power.

Since November 2022, PN has been the largest Opposition group in Malaysia. The person who served as Leader of the Opposition for the longest time was Lim Kit Siang. He held the position for a total of 28 years!

Who Has Been the Leader of the Opposition?

Here is a list of the people who have served as the Leader of the Opposition in Malaysia. The colors show which political party or group they belonged to.

      PMIP/PAS       LPM       DAP       SNAP       PKR       PH       BN       PN

# Portrait Leader of the Opposition Political party Term of office Refs
Took office Left office Time in office
1. Burhanuddin al-Helmy
(1911–1969)
MP for Besut
PMIP 1959 1964 5 years
2 Tan Chee Khoon
(1919–1996)
MP for Batu
SF (LPM) 18 May 1964 10 January 1966 4 years, 307 days
LPM 10 January 1966 28 May 1968
Gerakan 28 May 1968 20 March 1969
Parliament suspended 1969 1971
3. Asrihajimuda.jpg Mohamed Asri Muda
(1923–1992)
MP for Pasir Puteh
PMIP 1971 1973 2 years
4. Lim Kit Siang cropped.jpg Lim Kit Siang
(b.1941)
MP for Bandar Malacca
DAP 30 January 1973 31 July 1974 1 year, 183 days
5. James Wong Kim Min
(1922–2011)
MP for Miri-Subis
SNAP 24 August 1974 30 October 1974 68 days
6. Edmund Langgu Anak Saga
(b.1936)
MP for Saratok
4 November 1974 4 November 1975 1 year, 0 days
7. Lim Kit Siang cropped.jpg Lim Kit Siang
(b.1941)
MP for Kota Melaka (1975-1978)
MP for Petaling (1978–1982)
MP for Kota Melaka (1982-1986)
MP for Tanjong (1986–1999)
DAP 5 November 1975 12 June 1978 24 years, 6 days
10 October 1978 29 March 1982
12 October 1982 19 July 1986
8 October 1986 4 October 1990
GR (DAP) 10 December 1990 6 April 1995
DAP 15 June 1995 10 November 1999
8. Dato'
Fadzil Noor
(1937–2002)
MP for Pendang
BA (PAS) 20 December 1999 23 June 2002 2 years, 186 days
9. Hadi Awang (cropped).jpg Dato' Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang
(b.1947)
MP for Marang
9 September 2002 4 March 2004 1 year, 178 days
10. Lim Kit Siang cropped.jpg Lim Kit Siang
(b. 1941)
MP for Ipoh Timor
DAP 19 May 2004 13 February 2008 3 years, 271 days
11. Wan Azizah 2.jpg Dato' Seri
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
(b. 1952)
MP for Permatang Pauh
PR (PKR) 30 April 2008 28 August 2008 121 days
12. Anwar Ibrahim.jpg Dato' Seri
Anwar Ibrahim
(b.1947)
MP for Permatang Pauh
28 August 2008 3 April 2013 6 years, 201 days
26 June 2013 16 March 2015
13. Wan Azizah.jpg Dato' Seri
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
(b.1952)
MP for Permatang Pauh
PH (PKR) 18 May 2015 7 April 2018 2 years, 325 days
14. Deputy Prime Minister Hamidi - 2017 (36294565072) (cropped).jpg Dato' Seri
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
(b. 1953)
MP for Bagan Datuk
BN (UMNO) 18 July 2018 12 March 2019 238 days
15. Ismail Sabri Fumio Kishida 2022 (cropped).jpg Dato' Sri
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
(b. 1960)
MP for Bera
12 March 2019 24 February 2020 350 days
16. Anwar Ibrahim (cropped further).png Dato' Seri
Anwar Ibrahim
(b.1947)
MP for Port Dickson
PH (PKR) 13 July 2020 24 November 2022 2 years, 135 days
17. Hamzah Zainudin pada 2022.jpg Dato' Seri
Hamzah Zainudin
(b.1957)
MP for Larut
PN (BERSATU) 19 December 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 195 days
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