The Government of Perlis refers to the state government of Perlis. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution of the State of Perlis (''Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Perlis''). In modern Malaysian use, the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Perlis) of the day, elected from the Perlis State Legislative Assembly and the non-political staff within each state department or agency – that is, the civil and public services. The civil service that manages and delivers government policies, programs, and services is called the Perlis Public Service. The state of Perlis, like all Malaysian states, is governed by a

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

and

parliamentary democracy A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

with a unicameral legislature—the Perlis State Legislative Assembly, which operates in the Westminster system of government. The political party or coalition that wins the largest number of seats in the legislature normally forms the government, and the party's leader becomes Menteri Besar of the state, i.e., the head of the government.

Executive

Head of government and Cabinet

Almost always made up of members of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly, the Executive Council of Perlis (''Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Perlis'') is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Malaysia while being smaller in size. As federal and state responsibilities differ there are a number of different portfolios between the federal and state governments. The Raja of Perlis serve as constitutional and ceremonial head of state of Perlis. Although the Raja is technically the most powerful person in Perlis, he is in reality a figurehead whose actions are restricted by custom and

constitutional convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

. The government is therefore headed by the Menteri Besar. The Menteri Besar is normally a member of the Legislative Assembly, and draws all the members of the Executive Council from among the members of the Legislative Assembly. Most executive councillors are the chairman of a committee, but this is not always the case. The executive powers in the state are vested in the monarch and are exercised by the Menteri Besar of Perlis and the Executive Council, who are responsible to the Perlis State Legislative Assembly,

advising Advice (noun) or advise (verb) may refer to: * Advice (opinion), an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct * Advice (constitutional law) a frequently binding instruction issued to a constitutional office-holder * Advice (p ...

the Raja on how to exercise the

Royal Prerogative The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy, as belonging to the sovereign and which have become widely vested in th ...

and other executive powers. In the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government, the executive councillors advice tendered is typically binding, though it is important to note that, despite appearances of the contrary, the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown, not to any of the executive councillors. As at the federal level the most important Executive Council post after that of the leader is Executive Councillor in charge of Finance. Today the next most powerful position is certainly the health portfolio which has a vast budget and is of central political importance. Other powerful portfolios include Education and Security.

Legislative

The legislative powers in the state however, lie with the Perlis State Legislative Assembly. Its government resembles that of the other Malaysian states. The capital of the state is

Kangar Kangar ( Northern Malay: ''Kangaq''; Jawi: كڠار) is the state capital and the largest town in Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located next to the Thailand border, in the northernmost point ...

, where the Perlis State Assembly Building is located. Government is conducted after the Westminster model. The Legislative Assembly consists of 15 members, elected

first past the post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...

(FPTP) from single-member constituencies. The current Legislature is the 13th, since 1959. The last election was held on 5 May 2013, and returned a majority parliament controlled by the

Barisan Nasional The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...

Departments and statutory bodies

Departments

* Office of the State Treasury of Perlis * Perlis State Mufti Department * Perlis Syariah Judiciary Department * Perlis Public Works Department * Perlis Lands and Mines Department *Perlis State Irrigation and Drainage Department * Department of Islamic Religious Affairs of Perlis * Perlis State Veterinary Services Department * Perlis State Agriculture Department * Perlis State Forestry Department * Perlis Social Welfare Department * Perlis Town and Country Planning Department

Statutory bodies

* Perlis State Economic Development Corporation * Perlis State Public Library Corporation * Perlis State Islamic Foundation * Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council

References

{{Perlis