The Cabinet of Malaysia

The Cabinet of Malaysia is among the Executive branch in the federal government. The members of cabinet comprised who have mostly fulfil the ministerial status. According to the Article 43 in Constitution, members of the Cabinet or ministers can only be selected from members of either Houses of Parliament. The King appointed members of the Cabinet and upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They take their oath of office before the King. However, the majority of members of the Cabinet in Malaysia have come from the Lower House. Only in rare cases have members of the Upper House or called Senate being appointed as members of the Cabinet. The most unusual and least expected recent case was the cabinet appointment of a retired academic who is not a member of either Houses of Parliament. He therefore had to be first appointed a Senator in order that he may be appointed a full ministers in the post-1999 general election.

The basic function of the Cabinet is to advice the King in governance. Although the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the King, they are collectively responsible to Parliament. Collectively responsibility carries several implications. First, decisions that made by the Cabinet are deemed to have been agreed to by all members in the Cabinet. Second, a member or members who disagree with the decision are morally bound to tender his or her resignation. Third, a member or members may disagree during the process of decision-making, but after a decision has been taken, then he or she is bound by the decision made. As such, a member of the Cabinet has a moral duty to help defend other members in the cabinet decision in public. Under no circumstance may a member who disagree voices his or her disagreement in public with morality. This action only tarnish the cabinet’s image.

Another important function of the Cabinet is as proposers of government legislations especially. A government legislation can only be introduced by a minister. Alternatively, it can also be introduced by a parliamentary secretary or deputy ministers A Deputy or a Parliamentary Secretary who had undertakes the duty of a minister assumes to fulfil their responsibility and power of the office.

The Cabinet of Ministers is at the federal level, likes the State Council. The Menteri Besar is the head for the Malay states that with Sultan in the state. However, if the state does not have a Sultan example, it will be head by the Chief Minister. Sabah and Sarawak that known as State Executive Council and the Cabinet called as Supreme Council.