Prime Minister of Malaysia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Malaysia
Emblem of the Prime Minister's Office
Coat of arms of Malaysia
Incumbent Anwar Ibrahim since 24 November 2022
Government of Malaysia Prime Minister's Department
Style	Prime Minister (informal) Yang Amat Berhormat (formal) The Right Honourable (within the Commonwealth) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet Prime Minister's Department National Finance Council National Security Council House of Representatives
Reports to	Parliament
Residence	Seri Perdana, Putrajaya
Seat	Perdana Putra, Putrajaya
Appointer	Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Term length	Five years, renewable
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Malaysia
Inaugural holder	Tunku Abdul Rahman
Formation	31 August 1957; 67 years ago (1957-08-31)
Salary	RM22,826.65/US$ 5,106 per month

The Prime Minister of Malaysia (called Perdana Menteri Malaysia in Malay) is the main leader of the Malaysian government. This person is in charge of the executive branch, which means they lead the daily running of the country.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Malaysia's King) chooses the Prime Minister. This person must be a member of Parliament (MP) who the King believes has the support of most other MPs. Usually, the Prime Minister is the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in a general election.

After Malaysia was formed on September 16, 1963, Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first Prime Minister. He was previously the chief minister of Malaya.

The current Prime Minister is Anwar Ibrahim. He was chosen after the general election in November 2022.

How a Prime Minister is Chosen

The Prime Minister's office at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya.

The Federal Constitution of Malaysia explains how a Prime Minister is chosen. First, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints a Prime Minister to lead the Cabinet. This person must be a Malaysian citizen and a member of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives). The King must believe this person has the support of most members in that House.

The Prime Minister then advises the King on choosing other ministers. These ministers can be from either the Dewan Rakyat or the Dewan Negara (Senate). Before starting their jobs, the Prime Minister and all Cabinet ministers must take an oath. This oath promises they will do their duty and keep secrets.

The Cabinet works together and is responsible to the Parliament of Malaysia. Cabinet members cannot hold other jobs that make money or be involved in businesses that could cause a conflict of interest. The Prime Minister's Department helps the Prime Minister carry out their duties.

If the government's budget is not approved by the House of Representatives, or if the House votes that it no longer trusts the government (a "no confidence" vote), the Prime Minister usually has to resign. The King then decides who will be the next Prime Minister. Other ministers stay in their jobs unless the King removes them, usually on the Prime Minister's advice. Ministers can also choose to resign.

If a Prime Minister resigns for other reasons, loses an election, or passes away, the King typically appoints the new leader of the winning party or group of parties as the next Prime Minister. Malaysia uses a "first-past-the-post" voting system. This means the party or group that wins 112 seats in the lower house gets to form the government.

What Powers Does the Prime Minister Have?

The Prime Minister's power has some limits. If a Prime Minister is removed as their party's leader, or if their government loses a "no confidence" vote, they must ask for a new election or resign. If a bill about spending money (a "supply bill") is not passed, or if important laws cannot be passed, the government might have to resign. This is because a government that cannot spend money cannot properly run the country.

The Prime Minister's party usually has the most seats in the House of Representatives. Because political parties in Malaysia are very organized, it's usually easy for the government's laws to pass.

The Constitution says the Prime Minister advises the King on many important appointments, such as:

• Federal ministers (full members of the Cabinet).
• Federal deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
• 44 out of 70 Senators in the Dewan Negara.
• When the Dewan Rakyat should meet and end its sessions.
• Judges for the higher courts (High Courts, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court).
• The attorney-general and the auditor-general.
• Leaders and members of various important commissions, like the Election Commission and the Armed Forces Council.

Even though the King has executive power, the Constitution states that he usually acts on the advice of the Cabinet or a minister. This means the Prime Minister and Cabinet actually hold most of the governing power.

Acting Prime Minister

Sometimes, a Prime Minister needs to travel for work. During these times, a deputy is appointed to take their place temporarily. This person is called an acting Prime Minister. The King can also appoint an acting Prime Minister if the position becomes empty due to a sudden resignation or the death of the Prime Minister.

Caretaker Prime Minister

The lower house of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat, usually lasts for five years. After Parliament is dissolved (ended), there is a general election. During the time between the old Parliament ending and the new one starting, the Prime Minister and Cabinet stay in office as a "caretaker" government. They handle the country's affairs until a new government is formed.

List of Prime Ministers of Malaysia

Here is a list of the Prime Ministers of Malaysia. The colors show which political group they belonged to.

      Alliance Party (2)       Barisan Nasional (6)       Pakatan Harapan (2)       Perikatan Nasional (1)

#	Portrait	Prime Minister (Born–Died) Area Represented	Time in Office			Election Won	Party		Government	Monarch(s)
			Started	Ended	Total Days
1		His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman تونکو عبد الرحمن‎ (1903–1990) MP for Kuala Kedah	31 August 1957	22 September 1970	13 years, 23 days	1955		Alliance (UMNO)	Rahman I	Abdul Rahman Hisamuddin Putra Ismail Nasiruddin Abdul Halim
						1959			Rahman II
						1964			Rahman III
						1969			Rahman IV
2		Tun Haji Abdul Razak Hussein عبد الرزاق حسين‎ (1922–1976) MP for Pekan	22 September 1970	14 January 1976	5 years, 115 days	–		Alliance (UMNO)	Razak I	Abdul Halim Yahya Petra
						1974		BN (UMNO)	Razak II
3		Tun Hussein Onn حسين عون‎ (1922–1990) MP for Sri Gading	15 January 1976	16 July 1981	5 years, 183 days	–		BN (UMNO)	Hussein I	Yahya Petra Ahmad Shah
						1978			Hussein II
4		Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad محاضير محمد‎ (born 1925) MP for Kubang Pasu	16 July 1981	30 October 2003	22 years, 107 days	—		BN (UMNO)	Mahathir I	Ahmad Shah Iskandar Azlan Shah Ja'afar Salahuddin Sirajuddin
						1982			Mahathir II
						1986			Mahathir III
						1990			Mahathir IV
						1995			Mahathir V
						1999			Mahathir VI
5		Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi عبد الله أحمد بدوي‎ (1939–2025) MP for Kepala Batas	31 October 2003	3 April 2009	5 years, 155 days	—		BN (UMNO)	Abdullah I	Sirajuddin Mizan Zainal Abidin
						2004			Abdullah II
						2008			Abdullah III
6		Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak محمد نجيب عبد الرزاق‎ (born 1953) MP for Pekan	3 April 2009	9 May 2018	9 years, 37 days	—		BN (UMNO)	Najib I	Mizan Zainal Abidin Abdul Halim Muhammad V
						2013			Najib II
7		Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad محاضير محمد‎ (born 1925) MP for Langkawi	10 May 2018	24 February 2020	1 year, 291 days	2018		PH (BERSATU)	Mahathir VII	Muhammad V Abdullah
During this time, the Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, was the Interim Prime Minister (February 24–March 1, 2020).										Abdullah
8		Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin محيي الدين محمد ياسين‎ (born 1947) MP for Pagoh	1 March 2020	16 August 2021	1 year, 169 days	—		PN (BERSATU)	Muhyiddin
During this time, the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, was the Caretaker Prime Minister (August 16–21, 2021).
9		Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob إسماعيل صبري يعقوب‎ (born 1960) MP for Bera	21 August 2021	24 November 2022	1 year, 96 days	—		BN (UMNO)	Ismail Sabri
10		Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim أنوار إبراهيم‎‎ (born 1947) MP for Tambun	24 November 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 249 days	(2022)		PH (PKR)	Anwar	Abdullah Ibrahim Iskandar

Prime Minister Timeline

Acting and Interim Prime Ministers

Sometimes, a Prime Minister might not be able to perform their duties for a short period. In such cases, another person might step in as an "acting" or "interim" Prime Minister. These roles are temporary.

Colour key (for political parties):

      Alliance Party       Barisan Nasional       Pakatan Harapan       Perikatan Nasional

Portrait		Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office		Notes	Political Party
		Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976)	19 August 1959	19 November 1959	Abdul Razak Hussein was the acting Prime Minister when Tunku Abdul Rahman stepped down for three months. This was to help Tunku Abdul Rahman focus on his party's campaign for the 1959 federal elections.	Alliance Party (UMNO)
		Ismail Abdul Rahman (1915–1973)	22 September 1970	22 September 1970	Ismail Abdul Rahman sometimes acted as Prime Minister when Tunku Abdul Rahman and Abdul Razak Hussein were away.
		V. T. Sambanthan (1919–1979)	3 August 1973	13 August 1973	V. T. Sambanthan served as acting Prime Minister for a short time. This happened when Abdul Razak Hussein was overseas and his deputy, Ismail Abdul Rahman, had passed away.	Alliance Party (MIC)
		Ling Liong Sik (b. 1943)	4 February 1988	16 February 1988	Ling Liong Sik became acting Prime Minister for a few days in 1988. This was when the main party, UMNO, faced legal issues.	Barisan Nasional (MCA)
		Anwar Ibrahim (b. 1947)	19 May 1997	19 July 1997	Anwar Ibrahim acted as Prime Minister for two months in 1997 while Mahathir Mohamad was on vacation.	Barisan Nasional (UMNO)
		Mahathir Mohamad (b. 1925)	24 February 2020	1 March 2020	During a political situation in 2020, Mahathir Mohamad was appointed as the interim Prime Minister by the King after he resigned. This was a temporary role until a new Prime Minister was chosen.	Pakatan Harapan (BERSATU)
		Muhyiddin Yassin (b. 1947)	16 August 2021	21 August 2021	The King appointed Muhyiddin Yassin as a caretaker Prime Minister in August 2021. This was a temporary role until a new Prime Minister was appointed a few days later.	Perikatan Nasional (BERSATU)

Prime Ministers by Time in Office

This list shows how long each Prime Minister has served. The number of days is calculated from when they started until they left office.

• One Prime Minister, Abdul Razak Hussein, passed away while in office.
• Five Prime Ministers resigned: Tunku Abdul Rahman, Hussein Onn, Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Muhyiddin Yassin.
• Two Prime Ministers lost their re-election: Najib Razak and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Ismail Sabri Yaakob served the shortest time as Prime Minister. Mahathir Mohamad served the longest. Mahathir is also the only Prime Minister to have served more than three full terms. He is also the only one to have left office and then returned for a second time.

• Longest and shortest prime ministerships
• 

  Longest Prime Ministership:
  Mahathir Mohamad
  8,805 days
  1981–2003 & 2018–2020
• 

  Shortest Prime Ministership:
  Ismail Sabri Yaakob
  460 days
  2021–2022

Prime Ministers by Age

This table shows the age of each Prime Minister when they started and finished their time in office. It also shows how old they were when they passed away, or their current age if they are still living.

• The youngest person to become Prime Minister was Abdul Razak Hussein, who was 48 years old.
• The oldest person to become Prime Minister was Mahathir Mohamad (as the 7th Prime Minister), who was almost 93 years old.

• Abdul Razak Hussein was also the youngest Prime Minister when his time in office ended, at age 53. He also had the shortest life among all Prime Ministers.
• Hussein Onn was the youngest person to become a former Prime Minister, at age 59.
• The oldest Prime Minister at the end of his time in office was Mahathir (as the 7th Prime Minister), at 94.

• Ismail Sabri Yaakob had the shortest time as a former Prime Minister after leaving office at age 62.
• Tunku Abdul Rahman had the longest retirement, living for 20 years after leaving office.
• At age 100, Mahathir is the oldest living Prime Minister and has lived the longest. He is the only Malaysian Prime Minister to have lived into his 90s.
• The youngest living Prime Minister is Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is 65 years old.

Living Former Prime Ministers

After leaving office, former Prime Ministers usually receive certain benefits from the government. They continue to be important national figures.

• Living former prime ministers
• 

  Mahathir Mohamad
  Served 1981–2003 and 2018–2020
  (age 100)
• 

  Najib Razak
  Served 2009–2018
  (age 72)
• 

  Muhyiddin Yassin
  Served 2020–2021
  (age 78)

• 

  Ismail Sabri Yaakob
  Served 2021–2022
  (age 65)

See also

In Spanish: Primer ministro de Malasia para niños

• Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Air travel for leaders
• Official cars for leaders
• Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Leader of the Opposition (Malaysia)
• Heads of state governments of Malaysia