A Malaysian general election (often shortened to 'GE') is the process by which voters choose all 222 members of the Dewan Rakyat at once. The party or coalition that wins a majority of those seats forms the federal government. State assembly elections frequently — though not always — happen at the same time. Here is how the process unfolds.
1. Dissolution of Parliament
An election cycle begins when Parliament is dissolved. This must happen within five years of Parliament first sitting, but the Prime Minister can advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve it earlier — which is why the exact election date is often a matter of political speculation. Once Parliament is dissolved, all sitting MPs lose their seats and the government continues only in a limited 'caretaker' capacity until a new government is formed.
2. The Election Commission takes over
Running the election is the job of the Election Commission of Malaysia, known by its Malay initials SPR (Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya). The Commission sets the key dates — nomination day, the campaign period, and polling day — and manages the electoral roll and the drawing of constituency boundaries, a periodic process known as redelineation.
3. Nomination and campaigning
On nomination day, candidates formally submit their papers and pay a deposit. From that point the official campaign period runs — typically a couple of weeks — during which parties hold ceramah (public talks), canvass door to door, and put out manifestos. The day before polling is usually a 'cooling-off' period when active campaigning stops.
4. Polling day
On polling day, registered voters cast a secret ballot at their assigned polling station. In a general election with concurrent state polls, a voter may receive two ballot papers — one for their parliamentary constituency and one for their state constituency (DUN). Voting uses first-past-the-post: the candidate with the most votes in each seat wins, and there is no second round.
5. Forming a government
Once results are known, attention turns to who can command a majority — at least 112 of the 222 seats. If a single coalition wins a clear majority, its leader is appointed Prime Minister by the King. If no bloc reaches 112, the result is a 'hung parliament', and parties negotiate to build a coalition that can command the confidence of the house. The King's constitutional role is to appoint as Prime Minister the MP who, in his judgement, is most likely to command that majority.