The state governments in Malaysia are the governments ruling the 13 states in the federation of Malaysia. All 13 states adopts the Westminster Parliamentary system and each has a unicameral state legislative assembly. Each of the States of Malaya is run by an EXCO, while Sabah and Sarawak have their respective Cabinet and Ministry. The state government structure in all 13 states is similar to the government system of the federal government of Malaysia and that the state legislatures consist of only a single chamber.
For each of the States of Malaya and the Borneo States, the Head of State is known as either a Ruler or a Governor.
The Rulers include the Sultans of Johor, Pahang, Perak, Kedah, Kelantan, Selangor, and Terengganu; the Raja of Perlis; and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.
The Governors include the Yang di-Pertua-Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak.
All 13 Heads of State comprise the Conference of Rulers, but only the 9 Rulers from the States of Malaya are eligible to be elected as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Supreme Head of the Federation on a rotational basis according to seniority.
The role of the Head of State is similar to the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the state level, in that the Head of State has the discretion to: appoint a Head of Government who in his opinion is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the State Legislative Assembly; withhold consent to a request for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. However, as Islam is also a state matter, [1] not a federal matter, the Rulers from the States of Malaya also act as the Head of Islam in their respective States and have the discretion to oversee matters relating to Islam or Malay custom, and are able to request for a meeting of the Conference of Rulers in relation to these matters. For the States without Rulers, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong performs the function of the Head of Islam. Otherwise, the Head of State plays a ceremonial role and acts on the advice of the State Government, including assenting to bills passed in the Legislative Assembly by convention.
For the States with Rulers, each Ruler being hereditary monarchs also have the discretion to appoint an heir or heirs, consort, Regent or Council of Regency. For States without Rulers, each Governor is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the Head of Government.
For the States with Rulers, the Head of Government is known as the Menteri Besar, in both English and Malay.
For the States without Rulers, the Head of Government is known as the Chief Minister in English, or the Ketua Menteri in Malay. [2] Additionally, for the State of Sarawak, the Head of Government is known as the Premier, in both English and Malay.
Pursuant to Article 73-79 of the Federal Constitution, the state legislature is empowered to legislate on matters such as land matters, public works, local government, agriculture and forestry, Islamic law and public holidays. Pursuant to Article 80 of the Federal Constitution, the state executive in turn has administrative power over all matters which the state legislature may legislate under the constitution. Federalism in Malaysia is quite strong whereby the federal government retains by far more powers compared to the respective state governments. This is also reflected in the budget allocation towards the state and federal government. [3]
Government of Johor
Government of Kedah
Government of Kelantan
Government of Malacca
Government of Negeri Sembilan
Government of Pahang
Government of Penang 
Government of Perak
Government of Perlis 
Government of Sabah 
Government of Sarawak 
Government of Selangor 
Government of Terengganu
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply the Agong, and unofficially known as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected by the Conference of Rulers, comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, with the office de facto rotated between them, making Malaysia one of the world's few elective monarchies.
In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in contrast to a Ruler which is a constitutional title given to states with hereditary monarchies, namely: the Sultans of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu; the Raja of Perlis: and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957 as the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya and was amended in 1963 to form the Constitution of Malaysia, is the supreme law of Malaysia and contains a total of 183 articles. It is a written legal document influenced by two previous documents, the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 and the Independence Constitution of 1957. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the states of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore became part of the Federation. The Constitution establishes the Federation as a constitutional monarchy, having the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Head of State with largely ceremonial roles. It provides for the establishment and organisation of three main branches of the government: the bicameral legislative branch called the Parliament, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate ; the executive branch led by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers and the judicial branch headed by the Federal Court.
The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories.
Judiciary of Malaysia is largely centralised despite Malaysia's federal constitution, heavily influenced by the English common law, as well as Islamic jurisprudence.
The coat of arms of Malaysia is a coat of arms comprising a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for a crest and a motto. As the Malaysian coat of arms descended from that of the Federated Malay States under British colonial rule, it resembles European heraldic designs.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1968, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
The Conference of Rulers in Malaysia is a council comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, and the governors or Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the other four states. It was officially established by Article 38 of the Constitution of Malaysia, and is the only such institution in the world, according to the Malaysian National Library. Its main responsibility is the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) and their deputy, the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which occurs every five years or when the positions fall vacant. Although its position in the process of elective monarchy is unique, the Conference of Rulers also plays a role in amending the Constitution of Malaysia and some other policies, in particular, those Articles which have been "entrenched", namely those pertaining to the status of the rulers, the special privileges of the indigenous Bumiputra, the status of the Malay language as the national language, and the clause governing the entrenchment of such Articles.
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia, is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a federation comprising the 11 States of Malaya, the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak, and 3 Federal Territories operating within a constitutional monarchy under the Westminster system and is categorised as a representative democracy. The federal government of Malaysia adheres to and is created by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of the land.
The 20-point agreement, or the 20-point memorandum, is a list of 20 points drawn up by North Borneo, proposing terms for its incorporation into the new federation as the State of Sabah, during negotiations prior to the formation of Malaysia. In the Malaysia Bill of the Malaysia Agreement some of the twenty points were incorporated, to varying degrees, into what became the Constitution of Malaysia; others were merely accepted orally, thus not gaining legal status. The 20-point agreement often serves as a focal point amongst those who argue that Sabah's rights within the Federation have been eroded over time.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Malaysia:
The foundation of the Constitution of Malaysia was laid on 10 September 1877. It began with the first meeting of the Council of State in Perak, where the Yang di-Pertuan Agong first started to assert their influence in the Malay states. Under the terms of the Pangkor Engagement of 1874 between the Sultan of Perak and the British, the Sultan was obliged to accept a British Resident. Hugh Low, the second British Resident, convinced the Sultan to set up advisory Council of State, the forerunner of the state legislative assembly. Similar Councils were constituted in the other Malay states as and when they came under British protection.
Abdul Rahman bin Abbas is a Malaysian politician who served as the 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang from 1 May 2001 to 30 April 2021. He is a former politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). Abdul Rahman was appointed to the governorship by the King in May 2001 and was reappointed six times, in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
The monarchies of Malaysia refer to the constitutional monarchy system as practised in Malaysia. The political system of Malaysia is based on the Westminster parliamentary system in combination with features of a federation.
The Malaysia Bill is an annex of the Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. It gave effect to the Agreement where that the British colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and the State of Singapore should be federated with the existing States of the Federation of Malaya and the name of the federation should be Malaysia, and the Federal constitution wherewith to amend and adopt the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya so as to provide for the admission of those States. it adopted its present name, the name of the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya should be changed into Constitution of Malaysia.
The Governor of Sabah is the ceremonial head of state of the Malaysian state of Sabah. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is styled Tuan Yang Terutama. The current officeholder is Juhar Mahiruddin, who was sworn in on 1 January 2011.
The Premier of Sarawak is the head of government of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The premier is appointed by the Governor, also known as the state's governor. The premier is also the leader of the political party or coalition able to secure a majority in the Council Negri.
The orders, decorations, and medals of the Malaysian states and federal territories, in which each state and federal territory of Malaysia has devised a system of orders and awards to honour residents for actions or deeds that benefit their local community or state, are in turn subsumed within the Malaysian honours system. Each state sets their own rules and criteria on eligibility and also how each medal is awarded and presented. Most of the orders allow for the recipient to wear their orders in public, and most grant the recipients the use of post-nominal letters in their names.
The Constitution of Penang, introduced in 1957, is the fundamental law of the Malaysian state of Penang. The constitution, which came into effect just before the independence of the Malayan Federation from the British Empire, concerns the formation and proceedings of the state government. It also establishes the Governor as the head of state who acts in the discretion of the Chief Minister, the head of government.
Constitution of the State of Sarawak was incorporated in 1963 in the state of Sarawak following the formation of federation of Malaysia. It consists of six Chapters, 58 Articles, and one Schedule.