Malaysia is a monarchy with a parliamentary democratic system of government. The King or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of the government.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected by the Conference of Rulers, which includes rulers at state level. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the supreme commander of the armed forces and also appoints diplomats to serve in other countries.
Executive power is vested in the federal and state government. Parliament has legislative power. Malaysia's parliament is bicameral and consists of the house of representatives and the senate.
It is a statutory requirements for the house of representatives to have 222 members who are directly elected for a five year term. The Senate consists of 70 members, of which 26 are elected by the state legislative assemblies and the remaining 44 are appointed by the head of state.
The main political parties in Malaysia are:
· Persatuan China Malaysia (MCA)
· Kongres India Malaysia (MIC)
· Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu (UMNO)
· Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS)
· Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB)
(Source: malaysianmonarchy.org.my, IPU, parlimen.gov.my)
Regulatory environment in Malaysia
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy which means that the head of the state is the chosen representative of the people and must govern according to constitutional law.
Malaysia’s economic freedom score is 66.3, making its economy the 53rd freest in the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom. Malaysia ranks 9th out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Malaysia’s overall score is above the global and regional averages.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is a survey to measure the perceived level of corruption across countries worldwide. Malaysia is ranked 56th on this list which indicates that the corruption levels in the public departments is moderate. (Source:transparency.org)
Freedom of information
The government has control over the media and imposes restrictions. News and publications are censored. The government also has the authority to suspend licenses of newspapers. (Source: BBC)
The World Press Freedom Index 2010 ranks Malaysia at 141st rank with a score of 50.75 which indicates that media in Malaysia is restricted.
The main newspapers in Malaysia include:
· New Straits Times
· The Star
· Business Times
· The Malay Mail
The judicial system in Malaysia is based on both British common law and Islamic law. The judiciary in Malaysia acts as an independent organisation.
Superior courts include the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Courts. The Federal Court is the highest authority in Malaysia’s judicial system. The Magistrates' Courts and Sessions Courts are classified as Subordinate courts and have jurisdiction in criminal and civil cases.