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 leads the executive branch, which is the part of the government that carries out laws. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Malaysia's King) chooses the Prime Minister. The King picks a member of Parliament (MP) who he believes has the support of most other MPs. Usually, this is the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in a general election.

Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963. Before that, Tunku Abdul Rahman was the chief minister of Malaya. He then became Malaysia's first Prime Minister.

How is the Prime Minister Chosen?

The Prime Minister's office is located in the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya.

The Federal Constitution explains how the Prime Minister is chosen. First, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints a Prime Minister. This person will lead the Cabinet, which is like a team of ministers.

The Prime Minister must be 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 person must also be a Malaysian citizen from birth. They cannot have become a citizen through other ways like naturalization.

The King also appoints other ministers. He does this based on the Prime Minister's advice. These ministers can be from either the Dewan Rakyat or the Dewan Negara (Senate).

Taking the Oath

Before they can start their jobs, the Prime Minister and all Cabinet ministers must take an oath. They promise to do their duty and keep government secrets. This oath is taken in front of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The Cabinet works as a team and is responsible to the Parliament of Malaysia. Ministers cannot hold other jobs that make money. They also cannot be involved in businesses that might cause a conflict of interest. The Prime Minister's Department helps the Prime Minister carry out their duties.

When a Prime Minister Resigns

A Prime Minister must resign if their government's budget is not approved by the House of Representatives. They must also resign if the House votes that it has "no confidence" in the government. If this happens, the King will choose a new Prime Minister.

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

What Powers Does the Prime Minister Have?

The Prime Minister has many important powers, but there are also some limits. If a Prime Minister is removed as leader of their party, they must advise a new election. They must also resign if their government loses a "vote of no confidence" in the House of Representatives.

If the government cannot pass a bill about spending money (called a "supply bill"), the Prime Minister might have to resign. This is because a government cannot work without money.

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

Advising the King

The Prime Minister advises the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on many important appointments. These include:

• Choosing federal ministers (full members of the Cabinet).
• Choosing federal deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
• Appointing 44 out of 70 Senators in the Dewan Negara.
• Calling and ending meetings of the Dewan Rakyat.
• Appointing judges for the higher courts.
• Appointing the attorney-general and the auditor-general.
• Appointing leaders and members of various important commissions. These include the Election Commission and the Armed Forces Council.

The Constitution says that the King has executive authority. However, in most cases, the King must act on the advice of the Cabinet or a minister. This means that in reality, the Prime Minister and Cabinet hold the main power to govern.

Acting Prime Minister

Sometimes, the Prime Minister needs to travel for work. When this happens, a deputy is chosen to act as Prime Minister temporarily. In the past, these absences could be for a long time. If the Prime Minister suddenly resigns or passes away, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can fully decide who will take over.

Caretaker Prime Minister

The lower house of Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) usually lasts for five years. After five years, or if the King dissolves Parliament earlier, a general election is held. There can be a delay of up to 60 days for the election. During the time between Parliament being dissolved and a new one forming, the Prime Minister and Cabinet stay in office. They act as a "caretaker" government. This means they handle daily tasks but do not make major new decisions.

List of Prime Ministers of Malaysia

Colour key (for political groups):

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

#	Portrait	Prime Minister (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office			Mandate	Party		Government	Monarch(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
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 (b.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 (b.1939) 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 Haji Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak نجيب رزاق‎ (b.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 (b.1925) MP for Langkawi	10 May 2018	24 February 2020	1 year, 291 days	2018		PH (BERSATU)	Mahathir VII	Muhammad V Abdullah
During this interval, the incumbent Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad was the Interim Prime Minister. (24 February–1 March 2020)										Abdullah
8		Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Mohd. Yassin محيي الدين ياسين‎ (b.1947) MP for Pagoh	1 March 2020	16 August 2021	1 year, 169 days	—		PN (BERSATU)	Muhyiddin
During this interval, the incumbent Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin was the Caretaker Prime Minister. (16–21 August 2021)
9		Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob إسماعيل صبري يعقوب‎ (b.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 (b.1947) MP for Tambun	24 November 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 229 days	(2022)		PH (PKR)	Anwar	Abdullah Ibrahim Iskandar

Timeline of Prime Ministers

See also

• Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Official state car
• Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Leader of the Opposition (Malaysia)
• Heads of state governments of Malaysia