| Prime Minister of Malaysia | |
|---|---|
| Perdana Menteri Malaysia ڤردان منتري مليسيا | |
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 Emblem of the Prime Minister's Office | |
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| Government of Malaysia Prime Minister's Department | |
| Style | Prime Minister (informal) Yang Amat Berhormat (formal) The Right Honourable (within the Commonwealth) His Excellency (diplomatic) |
| Type | Head of government |
| Member of |
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| Reports to | Parliament |
| Residence | Seri Perdana,Putrajaya |
| Seat | Perdana Putra,Putrajaya |
| Appointer | Yang di-Pertuan Agong |
| Term length | Five years, renewable |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Malaysia |
| Inaugural holder | Tunku Abdul Rahman |
| Formation | 31 August 1957; 68 years ago (1957-08-31) |
| Salary | RM22,826.65/US$ 5,106 per month[1] |
| Website | www |
| This article is part ofa series on the |
| Politics of Malaysia |
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Theprime ministerof Malaysia (Malay:Perdana Menteri Malaysia;Jawi:ڤردان منتري مليسيا) is thehead of government ofMalaysia. The prime minister directs theexecutive branch of thefederal government. TheYang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is amember of Parliament (MP) who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs. The prime minister is usually the leader of the party winning the most seats in a general election.
After the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963,Tunku Abdul Rahman, whom was the chief minister of theFederation of Malaya at the time, became the first prime minister of Malaysia.
The current prime minister isAnwar Ibrahim, who was elected in the2022 Malaysian general election.
According to theFederal Constitution, theYang di-Pertuan Agong shall first appoint a prime minister to preside over theCabinet. The prime minister is to be a member of theDewan Rakyat (House of Representatives), and must have the confidence of the majority of the members of that House. This person must be a Malaysian citizen, but cannot have obtained their citizenship by means of naturalisation or registration. TheYang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint other ministers from either the Dewan Rakyat orDewan Negara (Senate) with the prime minister's advice.
The prime minister and his/her cabinet ministers must take and subscribe to the oath of office and allegiance as well as the oath of secrecy in the presence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong before they can exercise functions of office. TheCabinet is collectively accountable to theParliament of Malaysia. The members of the Cabinet shall not hold any office of profit and engage in any trade, business or profession that will cause aconflict of interest. ThePrime Minister's Department (sometimes referred to as the Prime Minister's Office) is the body and ministry in which the prime minister exercises his/her functions and powers.
In the case where a government cannot get itsappropriation (budget) legislation passed by the House of Representatives, or when the House passes a no confidence vote in the government, the prime minister is bound by convention to resign immediately. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's choice of replacement prime minister will be dictated by the circumstances. All other ministers shall continue to hold office by the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, unless if the appointment of any minister is revoked by his/her majesty upon the advice of the prime minister. Any minister may resign his/her office.
Following a resignation in other circumstances, defeat in an election, or the death of a prime minister, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would generally appoint as the new leader of the governing party or coalition as new Prime Minister.
Malaysia uses afirst-past-the-post-voting system, which means a party or coalition will lead a government if they manage to gain 112 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.[2]
The power of the prime minister is subject to a number of limitations. Prime ministers removed as leader of his or her party, or whose government loses avote of no confidence in the House of Representatives, must advise a new election of the lower house or resign the office. The defeat of asupply bill (one that concerns the spending of money) or unable to pass important policy-related legislation is seen to require the resignation of the government or dissolution ofParliament, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, also calledloss of supply.
The prime minister's party will normally have a majority in theHouse of Representatives and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Malaysian politics, so passage of the government's legislation through the House of Representatives is mostly a formality.
Under the Constitution, the prime minister's role includes advising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on:
Under Article 39 of the Constitution, executive authority is vested in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. However, Article 40(1) states that in most cases, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is bound to exercise his powers on the advice of the Cabinet or a minister acting under the Cabinet's general authority. Thus, in practice, actual governing authority is vested in the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
From time to time, prime ministers are required to leave the country on business and a deputy is appointed to take their place during that time. In the days before jet aeroplanes, such absences could be for extended periods. However, the position can be fully decided by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the king of Malaysia when the position remains empty following the sudden resignation or death of the prime minister.[citation needed]
Under Article 55(3) ofConstitution of Malaysia, thelower house of Parliament, unless sooner dissolved by theYang di-Pertuan Agong with his own discretion on the advice of the prime minister, shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting. Article 55(4) of the Constitution permits a delay of 60 days in the holding of the general election from the date of dissolution and Parliament shall be summoned to meet on a date not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one Parliament and the convening of the next, the prime minister and thecabinet remain in office in acaretaker capacity.[citation needed]
Colour key (for political coalitions/parties):
Alliance Party (2) Barisan Nasional (6) Pakatan Harapan (2) Perikatan Nasional (1)
| # | Portrait | Prime Minister (Birth–Death) Constituency | Term of office | Mandate[a] | Party[b] | Government | Monarch(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
| 1 | .jpg) | His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman تونکو عبد الرحمن (1903–1990) MP forKuala Kedah | 31 August 1957 | 22 September 1970 | 13 years, 23 days | 1955 | Alliance (UMNO) | Rahman I | Abdul Rahman | |
| 1959 | Rahman II | |||||||||
| 1964 | Rahman III | |||||||||
| 1969 | Rahman IV | |||||||||
| 2 | .jpg) | Tun Haji Abdul Razak Hussein عبد الرزاق حسين (1922–1976) MP forPekan | 22 September 1970 | 14 January 1976[c] | 5 years, 115 days | – | Alliance (UMNO) | Razak I | Abdul Halim | |
| 1974 | BN (UMNO) | Razak II | ||||||||
| 3 |  | Tun Hussein Onn حسين عون (1922–1990) MP forSri Gading | 15 January 1976 | 16 July 1981 | 5 years, 183 days | – | BN (UMNO) | Hussein I | Yahya Petra | |
| 1978 | Hussein II | |||||||||
| 4 | .jpg) | Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad محاضير محمد (born 1925) MP forKubang Pasu | 16 July 1981 | 30 October 2003 | 22 years, 107 days | — | BN (UMNO) | Mahathir I | Ahmad Shah | |
| 1982 | Mahathir II | |||||||||
| 1986 | Mahathir III | |||||||||
| 1990 | Mahathir IV | |||||||||
| 1995 | Mahathir V | |||||||||
| 1999 | Mahathir VI | |||||||||
| 5 | .jpg) | Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi عبد الله أحمد بدوي (1939–2025) MP forKepala Batas | 31 October 2003 | 3 April 2009 | 5 years, 155 days | — | BN (UMNO) | Abdullah I | Sirajuddin | |
| 2004 | Abdullah II | |||||||||
| 2008 | Abdullah III | |||||||||
| 6 | .JPG) | Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak محمد نجيب عبد الرزاق (born 1953) MP for Pekan | 3 April 2009 | 9 May 2018 | 9 years, 37 days | — | BN (UMNO) | Najib I | Mizan Zainal Abidin | |
| 2013 | Najib II | |||||||||
| 7 | .jpg) | Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad محاضير محمد (born 1925) MP forLangkawi | 10 May 2018 | 24 February 2020 | 1 year, 291 days | 2018 | PH (BERSATU) | Mahathir VII | Muhammad V | |
| During this interval, the incumbent Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad was the Interim Prime Minister. (24 February–1 March 2020) | Abdullah | |||||||||
| 8 | _(cropped).jpg) | Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin محيي الدين محمد ياسين (born 1947) MP forPagoh | 1 March 2020 | 16 August 2021 | 1 year, 169 days | — | PN (BERSATU) | Muhyiddin | ||
| During this interval, the incumbent Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin was the Caretaker Prime Minister. (16–21 August 2021) | ||||||||||
| 9 | .jpg) | Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob إسماعيل صبري يعقوب (born 1960) MP forBera | 21 August 2021 | 24 November 2022 | 1 year, 96 days | — | BN (UMNO) | Ismail Sabri | ||
| 10 | | Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim أنوار إبراهيم (born 1947) MP forTambun | 24 November 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years, 0 days | (2022) | PH (PKR) | Anwar | Abdullah | |
Colour key (for political parties):
Alliance Party Barisan Nasional
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Notes | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976) | 19 August 1959 | 19 November 1959 | Abdul Razak Hussein was the acting prime minister after the first prime minister,Tunku Abdul Rahman, stepped down as prime minister for three months in 1959 to strengthen his party, theAlliance Party for the1959 federal elections. | Alliance Party (UMNO) | ||
| Ismail Abdul Rahman (1915–1973) | 22 September 1970 | 22 September 1970 | Ismail Abdul Rahman occasionally acted as acting prime minister whenTunku Abdul Rahman andAbdul Razak Hussein were abroad. | |||
 | V. T. Sambanthan (1919–1979) | 3 August 1973 | 13 August 1973 | V. T. Sambanthan was called to serve as acting prime minister and chair the cabinet meeting for a day when the former prime ministerAbdul Razak Hussein was overseas and his deputyIsmail Abdul Rahman had died. | Alliance Party (MIC) | |
| Ling Liong Sik (b. 1943) | 4 February 1988 | 16 February 1988 | Became the new chairman of the Barisan Nasional coalition, alongside as the acting prime minister for a few days. | Barisan Nasional (MCA) | ||
 | Anwar Ibrahim (b. 1947) | 19 May 1997 | 19 July 1997 | Served as the acting prime minister whilstMahathir Mohamad was on vacation. | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) | |
Colour key (for political parties):
Pakatan Harapan Perikatan Nasional
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Notes | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Mahathir Mohamad (b. 1925) | 24 February 2020 | 1 March 2020 | Appointed during the2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis by at the time King of MalaysiaAbdullah of Pahang. Prior to his appointment, there were no mentions of an interim prime minister in theConstitution of Malaysia.[3] | Pakatan Harapan (BERSATU) | |
| Muhyiddin Yassin (b. 1947) | 16 August 2021 | 21 August 2021 | Appointed during the2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis by at the time King of MalaysiaAbdullah of Pahang. | Perikatan Nasional (BERSATU) | |
This is a list of prime minister of Malaysia by time in office. The listed number of days is calculated as the difference between dates, which counts the number of calendar days except the last day. The length of a full prime ministerialterm of office usually varies according to when the two former and latter general elections are held. If the last day is included, all numbers would be one day more, exceptMahathir Mohamad would have two more days, as he served two non-consecutive terms.
Of the individuals appointed prime minister of Malaysia, one died in office (Abdul Razak Hussein), five resigned from office (Tunku Abdul Rahman,Hussein Onn,Mahathir Mohamad,Abdullah Ahmad Badawi andMuhyiddin Yassin) and two lost reelection (Najib Razak andIsmail Sabri Yaakob).
Ismail Sabri Yaakob is spending the shortest time in office, while Mahathir spent the longest. Mahathir is the only Malaysian prime minister to have served more than three full terms.
Mahathir is the only prime minister to leave office and return for a second non-consecutive term. Consequently, while there have been 10 prime ministerships in the nation's history, only 9 people have been sworn into office as Mahathir is numbered as both the 4th and 7th prime minister.
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| Rank | Prime minister | Length in days | Order of prime ministership | Number of terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahathir Mohamad | 8,805[a] | 4th • 16 July 1981 – 31 October 2003 7th • 10 May 2018 – 1 March 2020[b] | One partial term (9 months, and 10 days) followed by four full terms and two non-consecutive partial terms (3 years, 11 months, and 2 days) and (1 year, 9 months, and 20 days) |
| 2 | Tunku Abdul Rahman | 4,770 | 1st • 31 August 1957 – 22 September 1970 | Three full terms[c] followed by one partial term (4 months, 12 days) |
| 3 | Najib Razak | 3,324 | 6th • 3 April 2009 – 10 May 2018 | One partial term (4 years, 1 month, and 2 days) followed by one full term |
| 4 | Hussein Onn | 2,009 | 3rd • 15 January 1976 – 16 July 1981 | Two partial terms (2 years, 6 months, and 7 days) and (2 years, 11 months, and 24 days) |
| 5 | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | 1,981 | 5th • 31 October 2003 – 3 April 2009 | One partial term (4 months, and 21 days) followed by one full term and one partial term (1 year, and 26 days) |
| 6 | Abdul Razak Hussein | 1,940 | 2nd • 22 September 1970 – 14 January 1976 | Two partial terms (3 years, 11 months, and 23 days) and (1 year, and 4 months) |
| 7 | Anwar Ibrahim | 1,095[d] | 10th • 24 November 2022 –Incumbent | Currently serving |
| 8 | Muhyiddin Yassin | 538 | 8th • 1 March 2020 – 21 August 2021[e] | One partial term (1 year, 5 months, and 20 days) |
| 9 | Ismail Sabri Yaakob | 460 | 9th • 21 August 2021 – 24 November 2022 | One partial term (1 year, 3 months, and 3 days) |
This is a list of prime ministers of Malaysia by age. The table charts the age of each prime minister of Malaysia at the time of prime ministerial inauguration (first inauguration if elected to multiple and consecutive terms), upon leaving office, and at the time of death. Where the prime minister is still living, their lifespan is calculated up to 23 November 2025.
The youngest person to assume the prime ministership wasAbdul Razak Hussein, who, at the age of 48, succeeded to the office after the resignation ofTunku Abdul Rahman. The oldest person to assume the prime ministership wasMahathir Mohamad (as the 7th prime minister), who took the prime ministerial oath of office 62 days before turning 93.
Died at age 53, Abdul Razak was also the youngest prime minister at the end of his tenure, and his lifespan was the shortest of any prime minister. At age 59,Hussein Onn was the youngest person to become a former prime minister. The oldest prime minister at the end of his tenure was Mahathir (as the 7th prime minister) at 94. Mahathir was born before his two predecessors (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi &Najib Razak) (as the 7th prime minister).
Ismail Sabri Yaakob is having the shortest retirement of any prime minister, after leaving office at age 62. Tunku's retirement, 20 years, is the longest in Malaysian prime ministerial history. At age100, Mahathir is also the oldest living prime minister as well as the nation's longest-lived prime minister. He is the only Malaysian prime minister to have lived into his 90s. The youngest living prime minister isIsmail Sabri Yaakob, age65.
| No. | Prime minister | Born | Age at start of prime ministership | Age at end of prime ministership | Post-prime ministership timespan | Lifespan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | Age | ||||||
| 1 | Tunku Abdul Rahman | 8 Feb 1903 | 54 years, 204 days 31 Aug 1957 | 67 years, 226 days 22 Sep 1970 | 20 years, 75 days | 6 Dec 1990 | 87 years, 301 days |
| 2 | Abdul Razak Hussein | 11 Mar 1922 | 48 years, 195 days 22 Sep 1970 | 53 years, 309 days 14 Jan 1976 | 0 days[f] | 2025-11-2314 Jan 1976 | 53 years, 309 days |
| 3 | Hussein Onn | 12 Feb 1922 | 53 years, 337 days 15 Jan 1976 | 59 years, 154 days 16 Jul 1981 | 8 years, 317 days | 29 May 1990 | 68 years, 106 days |
| 4 | Mahathir Mohamad | 10 Jul 1925 | 56 years, 6 days 16 Jul 1981 | 78 years, 113 days 31 Oct 2003 | 14 years, 191 days[g] | (Living) | 100 years, 136 days |
| 5 | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | 26 Nov 1939 | 63 years, 339 days 31 Oct 2003 | 69 years, 128 days 3 Apr 2009 | 16 years, 11 days | 2025-11-2314 Apr 2025 | 85 years, 139 days |
| 6 | Najib Razak | 23 Jul 1953 | 55 years, 254 days 3 Apr 2009 | 64 years, 291 days 10 May 2018 | 7 years, 197 days | 2025-11-23(Living) | 72 years, 123 days |
| 7 | Mahathir Mohamad | 10 Jul 1925 | 92 years, 304 days 10 May 2018 | 94 years, 235 days 1 Mar 2020 | 5 years, 267 days | 2025-11-23(Living) | 100 years, 136 days |
| 8 | Muhyiddin Yassin | 15 May 1947 | 72 years, 291 days 1 Mar 2020 | 74 years, 98 days 21 Aug 2021 | 4 years, 94 days | 2025-11-23(Living) | 78 years, 192 days |
| 9 | Ismail Sabri Yaakob | 18 Jan 1960 | 61 years, 215 days 21 Aug 2021 | 62 years, 310 days 24 Nov 2022 | 2 years, 364 days | 2025-11-23(Living) | 65 years, 309 days |
| 10 | Anwar Ibrahim | 10 Aug 1947 | 75 years, 106 days 24 Nov 2022 | (Incumbent) | (Incumbent) | 2025-11-23(Living) | 78 years, 105 days |
| # | Prime minister | Born | Age at start of prime ministership | Age at end of prime ministership | Post-prime ministership timespan | Died | Age |
Prime ministers are usually granted certain privileges after leaving office at government expense. Former prime ministers continue to be important national figures. The most recently deceased prime minister wasAbdullah Ahmad Badawi (1939–2025), who died on 14 April 2025.
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