When are elections held?

In Malaysia, elections are held around once ever 5 years. Elections are called when the Prime Minister advises the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament. Elections must be held within 2 months after this date.


What electoral system is used?

We use the First-Past-the-Post system, so within each constituency, whichever candidate wins the largest percentage of votes wins the seat, even if they win less than 50%.

For this reason, parties generally dislike being in situations where there are more than 2 candidates.


Whom are you voting for?

Voters like you are sorted into constituencies by your home address, and all voters within a constituency elect a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House).

Usually, all the Peninsula states (and sometimes Sabah and Sarawak) choose to dissolve their state parliaments at the same time. In these cases, voters will also choose an Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) to represent them in the State Legislative Assembly.

If you live in a Federal Territory (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya or Labuan), you will only choose an MP. This is because the Minister for Federal Territories represents you in place of a state legislative assembly.

Who runs the elctions?

Elections are run by the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (Election Commission). They are responsible for

  • deciding the boundaries of each constituency
  • organising elections in each constituency
  • counting and announcing the votes

Disclaimer

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained on the Website is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Information on the Website is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide any type of professional advice. If you need up-to-date, professional advice, you should contact SPR for more details.

Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOZ) is a movement of young Malaysians in Australia who strive for open dialogue of political reform in Malaysia