Menteri Besar of Kedah

Menteri Besar of Kedah
Coat of Arms of Kedah
Incumbent
Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
since 17 May 2020
Government of Kedah
StyleYang Amat Berhormat (The Most Honourable)
StatusHead of Government
Member ofKedah State Executive Council
Reports toKedah State Legislative Assembly
ResidenceSeri Mentaloon, Alor Setar, Kedah
SeatAras 3, Blok A, Wisma Darul Aman, 05503 Alor Setar, Kedah
AppointerSallehuddin
Sultan of Kedah
Term length5 years or lesser, renewable once (while commanding the confidence of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly
With State Elections held no more than five years apart)
Inaugural holderWan Shammiul Ahmad Wan Farriul Osman
Formation1 March 1881; 142 years ago (1881-03-01)
DeputyVacant
Websitemmk.kedah.gov.my/index.php/kerajaan/menteri-besar

The Menteri Besar of Kedah or the First Minister of Kedah is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Kedah. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.

Appointment

According to the state constitution, the Sultan of Kedah shall first appoint the Menteri Besar to preside over the Executive Council and requires such Menteri Besar to be a member of the Legislative Assembly who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly, must be an ethnic Malay who professes the religion of Islam and must not a Malaysian citizen by naturalisation or by registration. The Sultan on the Menteri Besar's advice shall appoint not more than ten nor less than four members from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.

The member of the Executive Council must take and subscribe in the presence of the Sultan the oath of office and allegiance as well as the oath of secrecy before they can exercise the functions of office. The Executive Council shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly. The members of the Executive Council shall not hold any office of profit and engage in any trade, business or profession that will cause conflict of interest.

If a government cannot get its appropriation (budget) legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, or the Legislative Assembly passes a vote of "no confidence" in the government, the Menteri Besar is bound by convention to resign immediately. The Sultan's choice of replacement Menteri Besar will be dictated by the circumstances. A member of the Executive Council other than the Menteri Besar shall hold office during the pleasure of the Sultan, unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Sultan on the advice of the Menteri Besar but may at any time resign his office.

Following a resignation in other circumstances, defeated in an election or the death of the Menteri Besar, the Sultan will generally appoint as Menteri Besar the person voted by the governing party as their new leader.

Powers

The power of the Menteri Besar is subject to a number of limitations. Menteri Besar removed as leader of his or her party, or whose government loses a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Assembly, must advise a state election or resign the office or be dismissed by the Sultan. The defeat of a supply 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 of Legislative Assembly, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, also called loss of supply.

The Menteri Besar's party will normally have a majority in the Legislative Assembly and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Kedah politics, so passage of the government's legislation through the Legislative Assembly is mostly a formality.

Caretaker Menteri Besar

The legislative assembly unless sooner dissolved by the Sultan with His Majesty's own discretion on the advice of the Menteri Besar shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting. The state constitution permits a delay of 60 days of general election to be held from the date of dissolution and the legislative assembly shall be summoned to meet on a date not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one legislative assembly and the convening of the next, the Menteri Besar and the executive council remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

List of Menteris Besar of Kedah

The following is the list of Menteris Besar of Kedah since 1948:

Colour key (for political parties):
 UMNO  Alliance /  Barisan Nasional  Pakatan Rakyat  Pakatan Harapan  Perikatan Nasional

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Party Election Assembly
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Dato' Sir
Mohamad Sheriff Osman
(1890–1962)
1 February
1948
January
1954
UMNO
Alliance
(UMNO)
2 Tunku Ismail Tunku Yahya
(1907–1969)
January
1954
24 May
1959
Alliance
(UMNO)
3 Syed Omar Syed Abdullah Shahabuddin
MLA for Baling Barat
(1902–1967)
24 May
1959
7 December
1967
8 years, 198 days Alliance
(UMNO)
1959 1st
1964 2nd
4 Dato' Seri
Syed Ahmad Shahabuddin
MLA for Padang Terap (until 1974)
MLA for Kuala Nerang (from 1974)
(1925–2008)
14 December
1967
13 July
1978
10 years, 212 days Alliance
(UMNO)
1969 3rd
BN
(UMNO)
1974 4th
5 Syed Nahar Syed Sheh Shahabuddin
(1934–1998)
MLA for Langkawi
13 July
1978
28 January
1985
6 years, 200 days BN
(UMNO)
1978 5th
1982 6th
6 Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Osman Aroff
(born 1940)
MLA for Jitra
28 January
1985
16 June
1996
11 years, 141 days BN
(UMNO)
1986 7th
1990 8th
1995 9th
7 Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Sanusi Junid
(1942–2018)
MLA for Kuah
16 June
1996
11 December
1999
3 years, 179 days BN
(UMNO)
8 Dato' Seri Utama
Syed Razak Syed Zain Barakbah
(1944–2023)
MLA for Kubang Rotan
11 December
1999
22 December
2005
6 years, 12 days BN
(UMNO)
1999 10th
2004 11th
9 Dato' Seri
Mahdzir Khalid
(born 1960)
MLA for Pedu
28 December
2005
9 March
2008
2 years, 73 days BN
(UMNO)
10 Dato' Seri Diraja
Azizan Abdul Razak
(1944–2013)
MLA for Sungai Limau
9 March
2008
6 May
2013
5 years, 59 days PR
(PAS)
2008 12th
11 Dato' Seri
Mukhriz Mahathir
(born 1964)
MLA for Ayer Hitam
6 May
2013
3 February
2016
2 years, 274 days BN
(UMNO)
2013 13th
12 Dato' Seri Diraja
Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah
(born 1950)
MLA for Bakar Bata
4 February
2016
10 May
2018
2 years, 96 days BN
(UMNO)
13 Dato' Seri Utama
Mukhriz Mahathir
(born 1964)
MLA for Jitra
11 May
2018
17 May
2020
2 years, 7 days PH
(BERSATU)
2018 14th
14 Dato' Seri Haji
Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
(born 1974)
MLA for Jeneri
17 May
2020
Incumbent 3 years, 273 days PN
(PAS)
2023 15th
  1. ^ This column names only the Menteri Besar's party. The state government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

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