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Malaysia has thirteen
states and three Federal Territories, of which Kuala Lumpur is the
present administrative centre. Of the thirteen states, nine are headed
by their Royal Highnesses, the Sultans, while the former Straits
Settlements - Penang and Melaka (Singapore has become an independent
country) - and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak are under the
care of the Governor. The Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and
Labuan, in Sabah, each have a Datuk Bandar, or Mayor. The newly
completed Putrajaya is also a Federal Territory and it is due to
become the new administrative centre of Malaysia once the transition
is completed.
Putrajaya is 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur and only 20 km away from the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). A futuristic city no one
would have thought possible in this day and age in Malaysia, it
embodies the culture and traditions of Malaysia. Other than the
government office complexes, homes for the people and a lavish mosque,
this self-sufficient township comes complete with its very own
wetlands and nature highlights.
The head of the Malaysian nation is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and
this position is shared on a rotation basis by the Sultans of the nine
royal states. Elected by his fellow Sultans, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
holds the position for five years before passing the "reigns" to
another Sultan. The first Yang di-Pertuan Agong was elected on the
basis of seniority. As a parliamentary democracy, the Malaysian
government is headed by the Prime Minister and his deputy; a host of
other Ministers and their ministries all work together to implement
the government's policies that are so crucial to the growth and
development of Malaysia. The Prime Minister is the leader of the
political party that has won a two-thirds majority in the general
elections held once every five years, at the most. The Prime Minister
names his Cabinet and confers with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong about the
appointment of the Ministers.
Malaysia has seen tremendous growth and progress in the last 25 years.
Education and healthcare, as well as social security, are issues of
great importance to the government. Schools and hospitals are heavily
subsidized by the government as part of its national plan to benefit
the masses. Being duly concerned about the well-being of the nation's
people, the Malaysian government is non-negotiable in enforcing its
anti-drug trafficking laws; its harshest penalties are death by
hanging and life imprisonment. This sentence has been meted out to
both locals and foreigners alike. This is one area the government
rarely compromises on. |
Information
provided by
Malaysia Tourism
Promotion Board.
