Opposition (Malaysia)

The Opposition (Malay: Pembangkang; Jawi: ڤمبڠكڠ‎) in Malaysia fulfils the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent at a general election.

Federal Parliament

Main articles: Leader of the Opposition (Malaysia) and Shadow Cabinet of Malaysia

This is the list of current Leaders of the Opposition in the Parliament of Malaysia:

House	Opposition Leader	Political party [a]		Term	Government Leader
Dewan Negara	Vacant		N/A	18 July 2018 6 years, 246 days	Vacant
Dewan Rakyat	Hamzah Zainuddin (b. 1957) MP for Larut		PN (BERSATU)	10 December 2022 2 years, 101 days	Anwar Ibrahim (b. 1947) MP for Tambun

1. This column names only the opposition leader's party. The opposition bloc he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

State Legislative Assemblies

The Leader of the Opposition in Malaysian state politics is a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly).

In each state, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the State Assembly that is not in government except in the Johor State Legislative Assembly.

When in state legislative assembly, the Leader of the Opposition sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the Opposition and opposite the Menteri Besar/Chief Minister/Premier. The State Opposition Leader is elected by the minority party of the Assembly according to its rules. A new Opposition Leader may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns, or is challenged for the leadership.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system and is based on the Westminster model. The Opposition is an important component of the Westminster system, with the Opposition directing criticism at the Government's policies and programs, give close attention to all proposed legislation and attempts to defeat and replace the Government. The Opposition is therefore known as the 'government in waiting' and it is a formal part of the parliamentary system.

This is the list of current Leaders of Opposition in the Legislative Assemblies of the Malaysian states:

Current State Opposition Leaders
as of 21 March 2025

State (and Assembly)	Opposition Leader	Political party [a]		Term	Government Leader		Refs
Kedah (15th)	Bau Wong Bau Ek (b. 1967) MLA for Sidam		PH–PKR	26 November 2023 1 year, 115 days		Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor (b. 1974) MLA for Jeneri
Kelantan (15th)	Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim (b. unknown) MLA for Galas		BN–UMNO	5 September 2023 1 year, 197 days		Mohd Nassuruddin Daud (b. 1965) MLA for Meranti
Melaka (15th)	Mohd Yadzil Yaakub (b. 1978) MLA for Bemban		PN–BERSATU	13 December 2022 2 years, 98 days		Ab Rauf Yusoh (b. 1961) MLA for Tanjung Bidara	[1] [2]
Negeri Sembilan (15th)	Mohamad Hanifah Abu Baker (b. 1980) MLA for Labu		PN–BERSATU	21 March 2024 1 year, 0 days		Aminuddin Harun (b. 1967) MLA for Sikamat
Pahang (15th)	Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (b.1960) MLA for Cheka		PN–PAS	6 December 2022 2 years, 105 days		Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (b. 1958) MLA for Jelai	[3]
Penang (15th)	Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff (b. unknown) MLA for Sungai Dua		PN–PAS	17 November 2023 1 year, 124 days		Chow Kon Yeow (b. 1957) MLA for Padang Kota
Perak (15th)	Razman Zakaria (b. 1960) MLA for Gunong Semanggol		PN–PAS	9 December 2022 2 years, 102 days		Saarani Mohamad (b.1962) MLA for Kota Tampan
Perlis (15th)	Gan Ay Ling (b. unknown) MLA for Indera Kayangan		PH–PKR	19 November 2022 2 years, 122 days		Mohd Shukri Ramli (b. 1961) MLA for Sanglang
Sabah (15th)	Shafie Apdal (b. 1956) MLA for Senallang		WARISAN	29 September 2020 4 years, 173 days		Hajiji Noor (b. 1956) MLA for Sulaman
Sarawak (19th)	Chong Chieng Jen (b. 1971) MLA for Padungan		PH–DAP	19 March 2024 1 year, 2 days		Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg (b. 1949) MLA for Gedong
Selangor (15th)	Azmin Ali (b. 1964) MLA for Hulu Kelang		PN–BERSATU	19 September 2023 1 year, 183 days		Amirudin Shari (b. 1980) MLA for Sungai Tua
Terengganu (15th)	None		None	12 August 2023 1 year, 221 days		Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (b. 1970) MLA for Ru Rendang

1. This column names only the opposition leader's party. The opposition bloc he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

This is the list of current Leader of Balancing Force in the Legislative Assembly of the Malaysian state:

Current State Balancing Force Leader
as of 21 March 2025

State (and Assembly)	Balancing Force Leader	Political party [a]		Term	Government Leader		Refs
Johor (15th)	Andrew Chen Kah Eng (b. 1975) MLA for Stulang		PH–DAP	20 March 2023 2 years, 1 day		Onn Hafiz Ghazi (b. 1979) MLA for Machap

1. This column names only the balancing force leader's party. The balancing force bloc he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

References

1. "Melaka Opposition bench left with two assemblymen, says Chief Minister". The Star. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
2. "Bemban rep Mohd Yadzil is Opposition leader in Melaka state assembly". The Star. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
3. "PN lantik Tuan Ibrahim Ketua Pembangkang DUN Pahang". Berita Bersatu (in Malay). 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2022-12-07.