Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia

The deputy prime minister of Malaysia (Malay: Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia; Jawi: تيمبلن ڤردان منتري مليسيا) is the second-highest political office in Malaysia. There have been 15 officeholders since the office was created in 1957. The first prime minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, started the convention of appointing a deputy prime minister, but some cabinets have opted not to appoint a deputy prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia
تيمبلن ڤردان منتري مليسيا
Incumbent
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Fadillah Yusof
since 3 December 2022
Government of Malaysia
StyleDeputy Prime Minister
(informal)
Yang Amat Berhormat
(formal)
The Right Honourable
(within the Commonwealth)
His Excellency
(diplomatic)
Member of
Reports toParliament
ResidenceSri Satria, Putrajaya
SeatPerdana Putra, Putrajaya
NominatorPrime Minister
AppointerYang di-Pertuan Agong
Term lengthAt the Prime Minister's pleasure
Inaugural holderAbdul Razak Hussein
Formation31 August 1957; 66 years ago (1957-08-31)
SalaryRM18,168.15 monthly[1]

Appointment edit

Malaysia has always had a deputy prime minister for most of the time since independence. A prime minister may choose not to appoint a deputy prime minister. The office of deputy prime minister is not provided for in the constitution of Malaysia. At the same time, a prime minister could appoint more than one deputy prime minister, as has occurred before in Singapore.

From August 1957 to May 2018, when the coalition government Barisan Nasional (BN), of which the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) was the main component party, was the only ruling coalition, and by practice, the UMNO deputy president was usually appointed the deputy prime minister by the prime minister, who was the UMNO president. In the organisational structure of BN, the president and deputy president of UMNO were automatically made the chairman and deputy chairman of BN.

From May 2018 to February 2020, when Pakatan Harapan (PH), a political coalition of four parties, was the only ruling coalition, the holder of the position of deputy prime minister was decided upon by the presidential council of PH. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was the first female holder of office, was the post holder. 

The position has vacant for 16 months since Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as prime minister in March 2020 after Perikatan Nasional (PN) was leading ruling coalition until July 2021 after Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed to the position. However, he briefly served for 40 days before taking over as prime minister is the shortest-serving officeholder in history.[2]

Since August 2021, when BN is again the leading ruling coalition, there have again been no holders of the office of the deputy prime minister for 13 months before replacing by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Fadillah Yusof, first duo deputy prime minister in Malaysian history.

Deaths, resignations and removals from office edit

Of the thirteen previous officeholders, eight have stepped up to become Prime Ministers. Of the remaining, one died in office, two resigned, two were removed from office (both who later became Prime Ministers) by the sitting Prime Minister, and two disqualified from office due to defeat in the 2018 general election and collapse of the federal administration in 2020 political crisis.

Ismail Abdul Rahman died in office due to massive heart attack in 1973.[3] Musa Hitam resigned from second Mahathir cabinet over differences with Prime Minister over government policy in 1986. Ghafar Baba resigned from his portfolio following UMNO grassroots lost confidence in his leadership and his position as Deputy President of UMNO was challenged by Anwar Ibrahim in the UMNO's top leadership election. Anwar Ibrahim was the first deputy prime minister to be sacked after being accused and subsequently charged with corruption and sodomy in 1998. Muhyiddin Yassin was the second DPM to be removed from office after being dropped from the Cabinet by former Prime Minister Najib Razak in a reshuffle in 2015.[4] He later was sacked from his party.[5] Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's role as deputy prime minister ended when the seventh Mahathir cabinet was dissolved following Prime Minister Mahathir's resignation in 2020.

List of deputy prime ministers of Malaysia edit

Colour key (for political parties):
  Alliance Party  Barisan Nasional  Pakatan Harapan  Gabungan Parti Sarawak

#PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of officeMinisterial offices held as Deputy Prime MinisterPolitical partyPrime Minister
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Tun
Abdul Razak Hussein
عبدالرزاق حسين
(1922–1976)
MP for Pekan
31 August 195722 September 197013 years, 23 days
  • Minister of National and Rural Development (1957–1970)
  • Minister of Defence (1957–1970)
  • Minister of Home Affairs (1967–1969)
  • Minister of Finance (1969–1970)
Alliance
(UMNO)
Tunku Abdul Rahman
2 Tun Dr.
Ismail Abdul Rahman
إسماعيل عبدالرحمن
(1915–1973)
MP for Johore Timor (1959–1973)

(Died in office)
22 September 19702 August 19732 years, 315 days
  • Minister of Home Affairs (1969–1973)
  • Minister of Trade and Industry (1973–1973)
Abdul Razak Hussein
3 Dato'
Hussein Onn
حسين عون
(1922–1990)
MP for Johore Bahru Timor (1971–1974)
MP for Sri Gading (1974–1981)
13 August 197315 January 19762 years, 156 days
  • Minister of Education (1970–1973)
  • Minister of Trade and Industry (1973–1974)
  • Minister of Finance (1974–1976)
BN
(UMNO)
4 Dato' Seri
Mahathir Mohamad
محاضير محمد
(b.1925)
MP for Kubang Pasu
5 March 197616 July 19815 years, 134 days
  • Minister of Education (1976–1978)
  • Minister of Trade and Industry (1978–1981)
Hussein Onn
5Dato'
Musa Hitam
موسى هيتم
(b. 1934)
MP for Labis (1978–1982)
MP for Panti (1982–1986)
18 July 198116 March 19864 years, 242 days
  • Minister of Home Affairs (1981–1986)
Mahathir Mohamad
6 Abdul Ghafar Baba
عبدالغفار باب
(1925–2006)
MP for Jasin
10 May 198615 October 19937 years, 159 days
  • Minister of National and Rural Development 1986–1990)
  • Minister of Rural Development 1990–1993)
7 Dato' Seri
Anwar Ibrahim
أنور إبراهيم
(b. 1947)
MP for Permatang Pauh
1 December 19932 September 19984 years, 276 days
  • Minister of Finance (1993–1998)
8 Dato' Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
عبدﷲ أحمد بدوي
(b. 1939)
MP for Kepala Batas
8 January 199931 October 20034 years, 297 days
  • Minister of Home Affairs (1999–2003)
9 Dato' Sri Haji
Najib Razak
محمد نجيب عبدالرزاق
(b. 1953)
MP for Pekan
7 January 20043 April 20095 years, 87 days
  • Minister of Defence (2003–2008)
  • Minister of Finance (2008–2009)
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
10 Tan Sri Dato' Haji
Muhyiddin Yassin
محيي الدين ياسين
(b. 1947)
MP for Pagoh
10 April 200929 July 20156 years, 111 days
  • Minister of Education (2009–2015)
Najib Razak
11 Dato' Seri Dr.
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
أحمد زاهد حميدي
(b. 1953)
MP for Bagan Datok
29 July 20159 May 20182 years, 285 days
  • Minister of Home Affairs (2013–2018)
12 Dato' Seri
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
وان عزيزة وان إسماعيل
(b. 1952)
MP for Pandan
21 May 201824 February 20201 year, 280 days
  • Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (2018–2020)
PH
(PKR)
Mahathir Mohamad
13 Dato' Sri
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
إسماعيل صبري يعقوب
(b. 1960)
MP for Bera
7 July 202116 August 202141 days
  • Minister of Defence (2020-2021)
BN
(UMNO)
Muhyiddin Yassin
14 Dato' Seri Dr.
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
أحمد زاهد حميدي
(b. 1953)
MP for Bagan Datuk
3 December 2022Incumbent1 year, 159 days
  • Minister of Rural and Regional Development (since 2022)
Anwar Ibrahim
Dato Sri Haji
Fadillah Yusof
فضيلة يوسف
(b. 1962)
MP for Petra Jaya
3 December 2022Incumbent
  • Minister of Plantation and Commodities (2022–2023)
  • Minister of Energy Transition and Public Utilities (since 2023)
GPS
(PBB)

Timeline edit

Fadillah YusofAhmad Zahid HamidiIsmail Sabri YaakobWan Azizah Wan IsmailMuhyiddin YassinNajib RazakAbdullah Ahmad BadawiAnwar IbrahimAbdul Ghafar BabaMusa HitamMahathir MohamadHussein OnnIsmail Abdul RahmanAbdul Razak Hussein

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "CPPS Policy Factsheet: Remuneration of Elected Officials in Malaysia" (PDF). Centre for Public Policy Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Ismail Sabri appointed DPM, Hishammuddin now senior minister". 7 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Tun Ismail bin Datoʿ Abdul Rahman | Malay politician". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Muhyiddin terima penggugurannya dengan hati terbuka". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 28 July 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  5. ^ "UMNO sacks former Malaysian DPM Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir". Channel NewsAsia. 24 June 2018. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.