onal holiday:
National Day, 31 August (1957)
Constitution:
31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1994);
Deputy Paramount Ruler SALAHUDDIN ibni Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26
April 1994)
head of government:
Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy
Prime Minister ANWAR bin Ibrahim (since 1 December 1993)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the Paramount Ruler from members of parliament
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlimen)
Senate (Dewan Negara):
consists of a 58-member body, 32 appointed by the paramount ruler and
16 elected by the state legislatures
House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat):
elections last held 21 October 1990 (next to be held by August 1995);
results - National Front 52%, other 48%; seats - (180 total) National
Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4, other 22; note - within the
National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Peninsular Malaysia:
National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated by
United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin
Mohamad; Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik; Gerakan
Rakyat Malaysia, LIM Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), S.
Samy VELLU
Sabah:
National Front, Tan Sri SAKARAN, Sabah Chief Minister; United Sabah
National Organizaton (USNO), leader NA
Sarawak:
coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka
Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud;
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar James WONG Soon Kai;
Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk Amar James WONG; Parti Bansa
Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo MOGGIE; major opposition parties are
Democratic Action Party (DAP), LIM Kit Siang and Pan-Malaysian Islamic
Party (PAS), Fadzil NOOR
Member of:
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, UN,
UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, U