Leader of the Opposition (Malaysia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leader of the Opposition |
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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 |
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 | |||
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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. | ![]() |
Mohamed Asri Muda (1923–1992) MP for Pasir Puteh |
PMIP | 1971 | 1973 | 2 years | ||
4. | ![]() |
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 (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. | ![]() |
Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (b.1947) MP for Marang |
9 September 2002 | 4 March 2004 | 1 year, 178 days | |||
10. | ![]() |
Lim Kit Siang (b. 1941) MP for Ipoh Timor |
DAP | 19 May 2004 | 13 February 2008 | 3 years, 271 days | ||
11. | ![]() |
Dato' Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (b. 1952) MP for Permatang Pauh |
PR (PKR) | 30 April 2008 | 28 August 2008 | 121 days | ||
12. | ![]() |
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. | ![]() |
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. | ![]() |
Dato' Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (b. 1953) MP for Bagan Datuk |
BN (UMNO) | 18 July 2018 | 12 March 2019 | 238 days | ||
15. | ![]() |
Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (b. 1960) MP for Bera |
12 March 2019 | 24 February 2020 | 350 days | |||
16. | ![]() |
Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (b.1947) MP for Port Dickson |
PH (PKR) | 13 July 2020 | 24 November 2022 | 2 years, 135 days | ||
17. | ![]() |
Dato' Seri Hamzah Zainudin (b.1957) MP for Larut |
PN (BERSATU) | 19 December 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 195 days |