Dewan Rakyat

House of Representatives Malay: Dewan Rakyat
13th Parliament of Malaysia
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia
Leadership
Speaker	Pandikar Amin Mulia, BN–UMNO Since 28 April 2008
Deputy Speaker	Ronald Kiandee, BN–UMNO Since 28 April 2008
Deputy Speaker	Ismail Mohamed Said, BN–UMNO Since 24 June 2013
Secretary	Roosme Hamzah Since 26 December 2007
Structure
Seats	222 Members of Parliament (MPs) Quorum: 74 Simple majority: 112 Two-thirds majority: 148
Political groups	(As of 18 October 2015) The Government      BN (132) Ministers: 33 Deputy ministers: 26 Backbenchers: 73      UMNO (88)      PBB (14)      MCA (7)      PRS (6)      PBS (4)      MIC (3)      SPDP (3)      UPKO (3)      GERAKAN (2)      PBRS (1)      SUPP (1) The Opposition      PH (72)      DAP (37)      PKR (29)      PAN (6) Other Oppositions      PAS (14)      PSM (1)      TERAS (1)      Independent (2)      Vacant (0)
Committees	5 Committee of Selection Public Accounts Committee House Committee Committee of Privileges Standing Orders Committee
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	5 May 2013
Next election	24 August 2018 or earlier
Meeting place
Malaysian Houses of Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Website
www.parlimen.gov.my

The Dewan Rakyat (Malay for House of Representatives, literally People's Hall) is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of members elected during elections from federal constituencies drawn by the Election Commission.

The Dewan Rakyat usually proposes legislation through a draft known as a 'bill'. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the Dewan Negara, before they are sent to the King for royal assent. However, if the Dewan Negara rejects a bill, it can only delay the bill's passage by a maximum of a year before it is sent to the King. Like the Dewan Negara, the Dewan Rakyat meets at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

Membership

Members of the Dewan Rakyat are referred to as "Members of Parliament (MPs)" or "Ahli Dewan Rakyat" (literally "member of the Dewan Rakyat") in Malay. The term of office is as long as the member wins in the elections.

A member of the Dewan Rakyat must be at least 21 years of age and must not be a member of the Dewan Negara. The presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat is the Speaker, who is elected at the beginning of each Parliament or after the vacation of the post, by the MPs. Two Deputy Speakers are also elected, and one of them sits in place of the Speaker when he is absent. The Dewan Rakyat machinery is supervised by the Clerk to the House who is appointed by the King; he may only be removed from office through the manner prescribed for judges or by mandatory retirement at age 60.

As of the 2013 general election, Dewan Rakyat has 222 elected members. Members are elected from federal constituencies drawn by the Election Commission. Constituency boundaries are redrawn every ten years based on the latest census.

Each Dewan Rakyat lasts for a maximum of five years, after which a general election must be called. In the general election, voters select a candidate to represent their constituency in the Dewan Rakyat. The plurality voting system is used; the candidate who gains the most votes wins the seat.

Before a general election can be called, the King must first dissolve Parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister. According to the Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the right at his own discretion to either grant or withhold consent to dissolve the parliament.

Powers and procedure

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Acts of Parliament in Malaysia.

As the ultimate legislative body in Malaysia, Parliament is responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law.

Parliament's members are permitted to speak on any subject without fear of censure outside Parliament; the only body that can censure an MP is the House Committee of Privileges. Such "Parliamentary immunity" takes effect from the moment a member of Parliament is sworn in, and only applies to when that member has the floor; it does not apply to statements made outside the House. An exception is made by the Sedition Act passed by Parliament in the wake of the 13 May racial riots in 1969. Under the Act, all public discussion of repealing certain Articles of the Constitution dealing with Bumiputra privileges such as Article 153 is illegal. This prohibition is extended to all members of both houses of Parliament. Members of Parliament are also forbidden from criticising the King and judges.

The executive government, comprising the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, is usually drawn from members of Parliament; most of its members are typically members of the Dewan Rakyat. After a general election or the resignation or death of a Prime Minister, the King selects the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government but constitutionally subordinate to him, from the Dewan Rakyat. In practice, this is usually the leader of the largest party in Parliament. The Prime Minister then submits a list containing the names of members of his Cabinet, who will then be appointed as Ministers by the King. Members of the Cabinet must also be members of Parliament. If the Prime Minister loses the confidence of the Dewan Rakyat, whether by losing a no-confidence vote or failing to pass a budget, he must either advice the King to dissolve Parliament and hold a general election or submit his resignation to the King. The King has the discretion to grant or withheld consent to the dissolution. If consent is withheld, the government must resign and the King would appoint a new Prime Minister that has the support of the majority of members of Parliament. The Cabinet formulates government policy and drafts bills, meeting in private. Its members must accept "collective responsibility" for the decisions the Cabinet makes, even if some members disagree with it; if they do not wish to be held responsible for Cabinet decisions, they must resign. Although the Constitution makes no provision for it, there is also a Deputy Prime Minister, who is the de facto successor of the Prime Minister should he die or be otherwise incapacitated.

A proposed act of law begins its life when a particular government minister or ministry prepares a first draft with the assistance of the Attorney-General's Department. The draft, known as a bill, is then discussed by the Cabinet. If it is agreed to submit it to Parliament, the bill is distributed to all MPs. It then goes through three readings before the Dewan Rakyat. The first reading is where the minister or his deputy submits it to Parliament. At the second reading, the bill is discussed and debated by MPs. At the third reading, the minister or his deputy formally submit it to a vote for approval. A 2/3 majority is usually required to pass the bill, but in certain cases, a simple majority suffices. Should the bill pass, it is sent to the Dewan Negara, where the three readings are carried out again. The Dewan Negara may choose not to pass the bill, but this only delays its passage by a month, or in some cases, a year; once this period expires, the bill is considered to have been passed by the house.

If the bill passes, it is presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who has 30 days to consider the bill. Should he disagree with it, he returns it to Parliament with a list of suggested amendments. Parliament must then reconsider the bill and its proposed amendments and return it to the King within 30 days if they pass it again. The King then has another 30 days to give the royal assent; otherwise, it passes into law. The law does not take effect until it is published in the Government Gazette.

The government attempts to maintain top secrecy regarding bills debated; MPs generally receive copies of bills only a few days before they are debated, and newspapers are rarely provided with copies of the bills before they are debated. In some cases, such as a 1968 amendment to the Constitution, an MP may be presented with a bill to be debated on the same day it is tabled, and all three readings may be carried out that day itself. In rare circumstances, the government may release a White paper containing particular proposals that will eventually be incorporated into a bill; this has been done for legislation such as the Universities and University Colleges Act.

File:Dewan rakyat.jpg

Interior of Dewan Rakyat during the 12th Parliament.

Although the process above assumes only the government can propose bills, there also exists a process for Private Member's Bills. However, as in most other legislatures following the Westminster System, few members of Parliament actually introduce bills. To present a Private Member's Bill, the member in question must seek the leave of the House in question to debate the bill before it is moved. Originally, it was allowed to debate the bill in the process of seeking leave, but this process was discontinued by an amendment to the Standing Orders of Parliament. It is also possible for members of the Dewan Negara to initiate bills; however, only cabinet ministers are permitted to move finance-related bills, which must be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

It is often alleged that legislation proposed by the opposition parties, which must naturally be in the form of a Private Member's Bill, is not seriously considered by Parliament. Some have gone as far as to claim that the rights of members of Parliament to debate proposed bills have been severely curtailed by incidents such as an amendment of the Standing Orders that permitted the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to amend written copies of MPs' speeches before they were made. Nevertheless, it is admitted by some of these critics that "Government officials often face sharp questioning in Parliament, although this [i]s not always reported in detail in the press."

Current composition

Main article: Members of the Dewan Rakyat, 13th Malaysian Parliament

See also: List of members of the Dewan Rakyat

Diagram of the current members of Dewan Rakyat

Current composition of the 13th Parliament of Malaysia
as of 8 May 2016

State and federal territories	# of seats	BN seats	DAP seats	PKR seats	PAS seats	PAN seats	PSM seats	TERAS seats	Ind seats	Vacant
Perlis	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kedah	15	10	0	4	1	0	0	0	0
Kelantan	14	5	0	1	7	1	0	0	0
Terengganu	8	4	0	0	3	1	0	0	0
Penang	13	3	7	3	0	0	0	0	0
Perak	24	12	6	2	1	1	1	0	0	1
Pahang	14	9	1	2	1	0	0	0	1
Selangor	22	4	4	9	1	3	0	0	0	1
Kuala Lumpur	11	2	5	3	0	0	0	0	1
Putrajaya	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Negeri Sembilan	8	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Malacca	6	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Johor	26	21	4	1	0	0	0	0	0
Labuan	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sabah	25	22	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Sarawak	31	24	5	1	0	0	0	1	0
Total	222	130	37	29	14	6	1	1	2	2

Seating arrangement*

Alor Setar

Kampar

Bakri

Miri

Bandar Tun Razak

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Kanowit

Paya Besar

Kudat

Tenom

Gerik

Setiu

Kuala Kangsar

Baram

Kota Tinggi

Jelebu

Kangar

Batu Pahat

Kuala Kedah

Sibu

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Rompin

Kuala Pilah

Mukah

Julau

Kuala Selangor

Pasir Gudang

Labuan

Kota Samarahan

Alor Gajah

Tasek Gelugor

Silam

Lipis

Pengkalan Chepa

Bachok

Lumut

Sarikei

Vacant

Vacant

Kulim-Bandar Baharu

Setiawangsa

Tanah Merah

Pendang

Ranau

Cameron Highlands

Jasin

Limbang

Lawas

Tanjong Manis

Tebrau

Parit

Lubok Antu

Sepanggar

Sabak Bernam

Dungun

Bukit Gelugor

Bukit Mertajam

Stampin

Vacant

Baling

Lenggong

Parit Sulong

Tampin

Tanjong Karang

Mersing

Hulu Rajang

Bagan Serai

Sibuti

Batu Sapi

Padang Besar

Jerlun

Langkawi

Merbok

Kubang Kerian

Serdang

Gopeng

Segambut

Vacant

Saratok

Simpang Renggam

Putatan

Bintulu

Jempol

Kinabatangan

Titiwangsa

Mas Gading

Machang

Kepala Batas

Vacant

Sri Aman

Igan

Jerantut

Pasir Puteh

Sandakan

Tanjong

Tumpat

Tanjong Piai

Kalabakan

Semporna

Ketereh

Johor Bahru

Pulai

Masjid Tanah

Kubang Pasu

(Senator)

Sipitang

Sekijang

Pokok Sena

Kota Melaka

Rasah

Kepong

F

Gua Musang

Keningau

Pagoh

D

(Senator)

(Senator)

Libaran

Sik

Petaling Jaya Selatan

Sungai Siput

Kuantan

Rantau Panjang

Kota Bharu

G

E

C

Bera

Arau

Tanjong Malim

Sri Gading

Tangga Batu

Padang Serai

Kelana Jaya

Bukit Katil

Hulu Langat

Pasir Mas

Sergeant-at-Arm

Kemaman

Besut

Padang Terap

Tenggara

Kapit

Wangsa Maju

Kapar

Nibong Tebal

Kuala Nerus

Bukit Gantang

Betong

Putrajaya

(Senator)

Balik Pulau

Maran

Indera Mahkota

Kuala Langat

Bayan Baru

Temerloh

Marang

Kota Marudu

Serian

Pengerang

Beaufort

Tawau

Ipoh Timor

Batu Gajah

Taiping

Batu

Lembah Pantai

H

the Mace

B

Jeli

Putrajaya

Santubong

Labis

Hulu Terengganu

Lanang

Kota Kinabalu

Beruas

Bukit Bintang

Kuala Krai

Sembrong

Batang Lupar

Larut

(Senator)

Hulu Selangor

Jelutong

Kulai

Selayang

Seputeh

Cheras

Padang Rengas

Selangau

Ayer Hitam

Mambong

Ledang

Kuala Terengganu

Kota Raja

Telok Kemang

Ipoh Barat

Gombak

Telok Intan

Tuaran

(Senator)

Pontian

Pasir Salak

Raub

Sungai Petani

Shah Alam

Seremban

Bagan

I

A

Segamat

Pensiangan

Batang Sadong

Muar

(Senator)

Klang

Pandan

Sepang

Bandar Kuching

Parit Buntar

Bentong

Jerai

Kota Belud

Papar

(Senator)

Bukit Bendera

Kluang

Petaling Jaya Utara

Penampang

Gelang Patah

Bagan Datoh

Kimanis

Rembau

Tapah

Kuala Krau

Batu Kawan

Puchong

Subang

Ampang

Permatang Pauh

Secretary

Pekan

Tambun

(Senator)

Sungai Besar

Beluran

Speaker

• The seating arrangement is viewable at the official website.

Latest election result

Main articles: Results of the 2013 Malaysian general election by parliamentary constituency and Malaysian general election, 2013

Members of Dewan Rakyat as elected in 2013 by federal constituency

Equal-area representation of members of Dewan Rakyat as elected in 2013 by federal constituency

Diagram of the members of Dewan Rakyat as elected in 2013

 Summary of the 5 May 2013 Malaysian Dewan Rakyat election results

Political Party				Votes	% of vote	Seats	% of seats	+/–
	National Front		BN	5,237,699	47.38	133	59.91	7*
		United Malays National Organisation	UMNO	3,252,484	29.42	88	39.64	9
		Malaysian Chinese Association	MCA	867,851	7.85	7	3.15	8
		Malaysian Indian Congress	MIC	286,629	2.59	4	1.80	1
		United Bumiputera Heritage Party	PBB	232,390	2.10	14	6.31
		Malaysian People's Movement Party	Gerakan	191,019	1.73	1	0.45	1
		Sarawak United People's Party	SUPP	133,603	1.21	1	0.45	5
		United Sabah Party	PBS	74,959	0.68	4	1.80	1
		Sarawak People's Party	PRS	59,540	0.54	6	2.70
		Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party	SPDP	55,505	0.50	4	1.80
		United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation	UPKO	53,584	0.48	3	1.35	1
		Liberal Democratic Party	LDP	13,138	0.12	0	0.00	1
		United Sabah People's Party	PBRS	9,467	0.09	1	0.45
		People's Progressive Party	PPP	7,530	0.07	0	0.00
	People's Pact		PR	5,623,984	50.87	89	40.09	7
		People's Justice Party	PKR	2,254,328	20.39	30	13.51	1
		Democratic Action Party	DAP	1,736,267	15.71	38	17.12	10
		Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party	PAS	1,633,389	14.78	21	9.46	2
	State Reform Party		STAR	45,386	0.41	0	0.00
	Pan-Malaysian Islamic Front		Berjasa	31,835	0.29	0	0.00
	Sarawak Workers Party		SWP	15,630	0.14	0	0.00
	Sabah Progressive Party		SAPP	10,099	0.09	0	0.00	2
	Love Malaysia Party		PCM	2,129	0.02	0	0.00
	Homeland Human's Wellbeing Party		KITA	623	0.01	0	0.00
	Malaysian United People's Party		MUPP	257	0.00	0	0.00
	Independents		IND	86,935	0.79	0	0.00
Valid votes				11,054,577
Invalid/blank votes				202,570
Total votes (voter turnout: 84.84%)				11,257,147	100.0	222	100.0
Did not vote				2,010,855
Registered voters				13,268,002
Ordinary voters				12,885,434
Early voters				235,826
Postal voters				146,742
Voting age population (aged 21 years and above)				17,883,697
Malaysian population				29,628,392
Source: Election Commission of Malaysia Source: Nohlen et al. [1]