The Government of Malaysia
Overview
- Capital: Kuala Lumpur (Putrajaya is the administrative/federal government seat)
- Administrative regions: 13 states and 3 federal territories
- Government & legal system: Federal parliamentary elective constitutional monarchy; mixed common law and Islamic law (for Muslims in personal matters). (government site)
- Head of state / government: Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (rotating monarchy); Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister (head of government) (official page)
- Official language(s): Malay/Bahasa Malaysia (official)
- National Day: August 31 (Merdeka/Independence Day, 1957); September 16 (Malaysia Day, 1963) also a national holiday
- Independence: August 31, 1957 (Malaya, from Britain)
- Other official holidays: Malaysia Day (Sep 16), Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site)
- Regional / international memberships: United Nations/ UN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations/ ASEAN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation/ APEC, Commonwealth, Organization of Islamic Cooperation/ OIC
- Visa / entry requirements: E-visa / visa-exempt arrangements for many nationalities. (visa info)
- Currency: Malaysian ringgit (MYR) — notes depict national landmarks (Petronas Towers), the hibiscus (national flower), and Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
- Flag symbolism: ‘Jalur Gemilang’ — 14 red-and-white horizontal stripes with a blue canton bearing a yellow crescent and 14-point star — the stripes and star points represent the states and federal government, blue represents unity, and the crescent and star represent Islam.
