Malaysia has had ten premierships but only nine prime ministers
Mahathir Mohamad is counted twice in Malaysia's list of leaders, as fourth and seventh prime minister. On his return he took the oath 62 days short of his 93rd birthday and left office at 94, making him both the oldest person to take the job and the only one to come back after leaving it.
Malaysia came into being on 16 September 1963, and Tunku Abdul Rahman, then chief minister of the Federation of Malaya, became its first prime minister. The head of government is formally appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the king, who picks the member of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house, most likely to hold a majority's confidence. In practice that usually means the leader of the largest party or coalition, and with first-past-the-post voting a bloc needs 112 seats to govern. The holder must be a citizen by birth rather than by naturalisation or registration.
On paper the constitution gives executive authority to the king under Article 39, but Article 40(1) obliges him in most matters to act on the Cabinet's advice, so real power rests with the prime minister. That advice covers ministers and deputy ministers, 44 of the 70 senators, senior judges, the attorney-general and the auditor-general, plus the members of commissions running elections, police and the armed forces. Party discipline is so strong that government bills usually pass as a formality.
Limits come from Parliament. Losing a confidence vote or a budget bill obliges the leader, by convention, to resign or seek a fresh election, because a government that cannot spend is hamstrung. A lower house lasts five years from its first sitting unless dissolved sooner; elections must follow within 60 days of dissolution, and Parliament must meet again within 120 days, with the outgoing Cabinet serving as caretaker meanwhile.
Tenures have ended in varied ways. Abdul Razak Hussein, the youngest to take office at 48, died in office at 53, the shortest lifespan of any holder. Five leaders resigned and two lost re-election. Ismail Sabri Yaakob had the briefest stint, while Mahathir had the longest and, at 101, is the longest-lived. Tunku enjoyed a 20-year retirement, the longest on record. Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister after the 2022 general election.
Source: Prime Minister of Malaysia
