VZCZCXRO7712
PP RUEHBC RUEHCHI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDT RUEHGI RUEHHM RUEHKUK
RUEHLH RUEHNH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHKL #0782/01 1160831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260831Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9152
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KUALA LUMPUR 000782 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S POLITICAL CYCLES 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Malaysia's established cycle of meetings and events 
helps define the country's political landscape and determine to an 
extent the pace of political developments.  In this cable we outline 
the government's primary meeting schedule and the political events 
that drive Malaysia's political machine.  We outline these cycles on 
a weekly, monthly, annual and five-year basis.  We also outline 
Malaysia's major international engagements.  End Summary. 
 
Weekly and Monthly Meetings 
--------------------------- 
 
Cabinet and Post Cabinet Meetings 
--------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  The Prime Minister's Cabinet meetings are held every Wednesday 
morning.  The meetings are almost always held in the administration 
capital of Putrajaya.  In the absence of the Prime Minister, the 
deputy Prime Minister chairs the cabinet meeting.  On Wednesday 
afternoons, the Cabinet Ministers hold post-Cabinet meetings with 
their respective Ministerial officials including Deputy Ministers 
and their parliamentary secretary.  Traditionally if a Cabinet 
Minister is on long leave, his deputy does not attend the Cabinet 
meetings.  The Cabinet generally assigns another Minister to 
represent the absent minister. 
 
State Executive Council Meetings 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  State Executive Council meetings or State Cabinet meetings are 
also held every Wednesday in their respective states, mirroring the 
schedule at the federal level. 
 
Party Central Working Committee or Supreme Council Meetings 
------------------------------------- --------------------- 
 
¶4.  Most political parties hold their Supreme Council or Central 
Working Committee meetings once every month.  There are no fixed 
dates and it is generally left to the respective party's 
secretary-general in consultation with the party president to 
 
SIPDIS 
determine the dates.  The monthly Supreme Council meeting of the 
United Malays National Organization (UMNO, the country's leading 
party) always attracts press coverage as major decisions affecting 
the country are sometime made at its meetings.  The other component 
parties of the ruling National Front (Barisan Nasional, or BN) will 
only receive press coverage if a decision that would have a major 
impact on the party is made at the meeting.  The opposition parties' 
supreme council meetings do not gain much coverage in the mainstream 
press, if at all.  Nevertheless, their respective party newspapers 
and websites routinely report  on their monthly meetings to party 
members and others who are interested in the opposition party 
activities and decisions. 
 
"Ceramah" or Political Gatherings 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Opposition parties do not have access to the mainstream media 
and therefore generally hold weekly "ceramahs" or political 
gatherings at the grassroots to explain the party's platform and to 
criticize BN policies.  Among the three major opposition parties, 
the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) is the veteran in organizing 
these "ceramahs," making special outreach to rural areas.  Since 
Malaysian laws impose strict conditions in hosting political 
gatherings, opposition parties have these meetings in confined 
locations such as assembly halls or within party premises to avoid 
applying for police permits. 
 
Yearly Events 
------------- 
 
Independence Day/Malaysia Day 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Malaysia's Independence Day celebration, August 31, is an 
important date on the Malaysian political calendar.  In the past few 
years, the official celebration has rotated among the various state 
capitals.  In 2006 it was held in Kuching, Sarawak.  This year, as 
Malaysia will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary of 
independence, it will be held in Kuala Lumpur.  On the eve of the 
independence day, the PM traditionally delivers his state of the 
nation address which will be carried live on all the electronic 
media.  The address generally focuses on the achievements of the 
government and the importance of national unity. 
 
¶7.  Another important day that the Sabah and Sarawak state 
governments celebrate apart from the Independence Day is Malaysia 
Day on September 16.  It was on that day in 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, 
Singapore and Malaya joined to form Malaysia.  Although, Singapore 
left the Federation in 1965, Sabah and Sarawak still celebrate 
September 16 as a public holiday.  The Prime Minister and other 
national leaders attend September 16 celebrations. 
 
Party Annual Conventions 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000782  002 OF 005 
 
 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  All political parties in the country are bound by the Societies 
Act, which stipulates that political parties must hold a general 
meeting every year or risk losing their registration unless the 
Registrar of Societies gives permission for postponement.  The 
Peoples Justice Party (PKR or KeADILan) and Islamic opposition party 
PAS are scheduled to hold their conventions and party elections in 
May and June respectively.  The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has 
scheduled its assembly in May while the Malaysian Chinese 
Association (MCA) has tentatively fixed its convention in August. 
Other BN parties also hold their conventions during the summer 
months.  The last UMNO convention was held in November 2006 and the 
party's Supreme Council has not yet decided on the date for the 2007 
assembly. 
 
UMNO Party Elections 
-------------------- 
 
¶9.  Under party rules, UMNO is required to hold party elections 
every 36 months.  However, this time frame may be extended to a 
maximum of 54 months under extenuating circumstances.  Although the 
next triennial party election originally was scheduled to be held in 
September 2007, in September 2006 the UMNO Supreme Council exercised 
the constitutional provision to extend the election for 18 months, 
thereby extending the time to hold elections until March 2009.  The 
Supreme Council announced it wanted the party election to be held 
after the general election (a strong hint that the general election 
will be held long before the current government's mandate ends in 
May 2009) to ensure that divisions which sometimes occur during 
party elections would not impact the party prior to the general 
election. 
 
¶10.  UMNO's triennial elections involve three stages.  The first 
stage consists of branch elections, and the second stage divisional 
elections.  In divisional elections, delegates from the constituent 
branches in an UMNO division (UMNO divisions correspond to 
parliamentary constituencies) elect 13 delegates to represent the 
division at the annual UMNO General Assemblies for the next three 
years.  The third stage is the UMNO Supreme Council election where 
the 13 representatives from each division elect the party president, 
deputy president, 3 vice Presidents, and 25 Supreme Council members. 
 
 
Barisan Nasional Pre-Council Meeting 
--------------------------- -------- 
 
¶11.  The government usually holds a National Front (BN) pre-council 
Meeting for all BN Members of Parliament either on the first day of 
Parliament or a few days prior to the parliamentary session.  The 
objective of the pre-council meeting is for BN Members of Parliament 
to have a dialogue session with the PM and DPM and to formulate 
strategies to counter opposition criticisms of government policies 
and decisions in Parliament.  In the current session of parliament, 
the BN held its pre-council meeting on March 19 immediately 
following the King's official opening of the first session of 
parliament. 
 
Parliamentary sessions 
---------------------- 
 
¶12.  The Parliament's House of Representatives (Lower House) and the 
Senate each hold three sessions every year.  The House of 
Representatives holds it's first session in March when the King 
officially opens the parliament session for the year.  For the 2007 
session, the King opened Parliament on March 19 and the session is 
currently scheduled to end on May 10, following resolution to extend 
the session.  The second session will begin on June 18 and end on 
July 10 and the final session (where the national budget is tabled) 
is scheduled to begin on August 27 and end on December 13. 
 
¶13.  The 70-member Senate (26 members appointed by the state 
legislative assemblies and 44 by the King) holds it's meetings on 
different dates.  For 2007, the first session of the Upper House 
will begin on May 7 and end on May 24.  The second session will run 
July 11 thru July 24 while the last session will begin on December 3 
and end on December 19.  Senators serve three-year terms for a 
maximum of two terms.  Their terms do not expire with the 
dissolution of Parliament. 
 
State Legislative Assemblies 
----------------------------- 
 
¶14.  All 13 states have their own legislative assemblies, which are 
required to meet a minimum of two times every year to fulfill state 
constitutional requirements.  Normally state governments hold one 
meeting early in the year and the second meeting in the later part 
of the year to pass the state budget.  There are no fixed dates and 
it is up to the state's chief minister and executive committee to 
determine when to hold the meetings. 
 
Conference of Rulers 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000782  003 OF 005 
 
 
-------------------- 
¶15.  The Conference of Rulers (COR), or in Malay "Majlis Raja-Raja," 
meets three times a year to deliberate on national policies.  The 
COR is comprised of the King and PM representing the Federal 
Government; the nine Malay rulers and the four "Yang Dipertua 
Negeri" or Governors of the states of Sabah, Sarawak, Penang and 
Melaka and their respective Chief Ministers.  There are no fixed 
dates for the conference.  The last COR took place in March 2007. 
Chief Ministers Conference 
-------------------------- 
 
¶16.  The Chief Ministers Conference chaired by the PM is held three 
times a year.  However, the Chief Minister of opposition-held 
Kelantan state is not invited to all the conferences.  The 
conference deliberates on national and state policies.  The last 
Chief Ministers Conference was held in March 2007. 
 
Barisan Nasional Supreme Council Meeting 
------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶17.  The 14-member BN supreme council meets twice a year.  The last 
BN Supreme Council meeting was on March 12, 2007. 
 
Political Open Houses 
--------------------- 
 
¶18.  Senior Malaysian politicians from all political parties host 
annual open houses during their respective religious and cultural 
holidays such as Eid al-Fitri, Chinese New Year, Hindu Diwali and 
Christmas. 
 
Five-Year Cycle 
--------------- 
 
General Election 
----------------- 
 
¶19.  General Elections take place at maximum five-year intervals. 
According to Article 55 (3) of the Federal Constitution, "Parliament 
unless sooner dissolved shall continue for five years from the date 
of its first meeting and shall then stand dissolved." The last 
general election was held in March 2004 and the first session of 
parliament was held on May 17, 2004.  The next general election is 
therefore due by May 17, 2009.  (Comment:  Former DPM and current 
advisor to Peoples Justice Party (KeADILan) Anwar Ibrahim remains 
ineligible to hold political office until April 2008.  Although the 
Federal Court quashed Anwar's sodomy conviction in 2004, it upheld 
the corruption conviction, statutorily barring him from standing for 
public office until April 2008, five years from date of conviction. 
End Comment.) 
 
¶20.  According to the Federal Constitution, by-elections will be 
held if an elected representative passes away; is convicted of an 
offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than 
one year or fined not less than two thousand ringgit; voluntarily 
acquires citizenship of another country; is an undischarged 
bankrupt; is of unsound mind; holds an office of profit; or has 
failed to submit the election expense report from the previous 
election. Since the 2004 general election, four by-elections have 
been held for various state assembly seats (all due to the death of 
the elected representative) and the latest will take place in Ijok, 
Selangor on April 28. However, the Constitution also provides that 
no by-elections will be held if a vacancy arises two years prior to 
the next general election.  Therefore, from May 17, 2007, there will 
not be any more by-elections, regardless of the reason a seat may 
become vacant. 
 
Five-Year Development Plan 
-------------------------- 
 
¶21.  Malaysia has followed a five-year development planning cycle 
since 1966.  The government tabled the Ninth Malaysian Plan in 
September 2006, covering the period 2006-2010.  GOM traditionally 
tables in Parliament a midterm review of the each five-year plan. 
In June or July 2008, GOM will present a midterm review of the Ninth 
Malaysian Plan.  The government will present the tenth Malaysian 
development plan (2011 - 2015) in Parliament in 2011.   Development 
plans traditionally focus on spurring economic growth and 
eradicating poverty.  Consistent with previous iterations, the Ninth 
Malaysian Plan also prioritizes development along these "twin 
objectives." The Ninth Malaysia Plan re-focuses government attention 
on rural development (UMNO's traditional power base) especially 
through agricultural sector development. It also emphasizes 
education and stimulation of the economy. 
 
¶22.  In addition to the main development plan, Malaysia also 
maintains sectoral economic plans, such as the Third Industrial 
Master Plan and the Financial Sector Master Plan.  These plans have 
similar reporting benchmarks to Parliament as the Ninth Malaysia 
Plan. 
 
Election of the King 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000782  004 OF 005 
 
 
-------------------- 
 
¶23.  Malaysia's traditional Malay rulers elect the country's 
constitutional monarch every five years.  In practice, the position 
rotates among the nine Malay rulers, though the rulers do not adhere 
to a strict schedule of turns.  The current King, His Majesty Al 
Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Sultan Mahmud Al Mukatfi 
Billah Shah, the Sultan of Terengganu, was elected on December 13, 
2006 and will serve until 2011. 
 
Sarawak State Elections 
----------------------- 
 
¶24. Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia where its State 
Legislative Assembly is not dissolved when the general election is 
held.  During General Elections, only the state's parliamentary 
seats are contested.  This anomaly came about because Sarawak's 
state election was not synchronized with the other states in the 
Federation at the time Sarawak and Sabah joined the Federation in 
¶1963.  The last Sarawak state election was in May 2006 and the next 
state election shall be held by or before June 2011. 
 
Malaysia's International Meeting Agenda 
--------------------- ----------------- 
 
ASEAN Summit 
------------ 
 
¶25.  The ASEAN Summit is held every year.  Generally the standing 
prime minister and foreign minister represent Malaysia at the 
summit.  The 2006 summit, which was scheduled to be held in December 
2006 in Cebu, Philippines, was postponed but subsequently held in 
January 2007.  The next summit is scheduled to be held in Singapore 
in November 2007. 
 
East Asia Summit 
---------------- 
 
¶26.  The recently established East Asia Summit is usually held after 
the ASEAN summit.  Malaysia hosted the first summit in 2005.  The 
next summit will in Singapore in November 2007. 
 
ASEAN Regional Forum 
-------------------- 
 
¶27.  The ASEAN Regional Forum is held annually.  The last ARF was 
held in Kuala Lumpur in July 2006 and the next meeting will be in 
the Philippines in August 2007.  PM Abdullah and Foreign Minister 
Syed Hamid Albar are both expected to attend the Forum. 
 
United Nations General Assembly 
------------------------------- 
 
¶28.  For the past four years, PM Abdullah has personally represented 
Malaysia at the September United Nations General Assembly. 
 
APEC 
---- 
 
¶29.  The next APEC summit is scheduled for September 6 - 7, 2007 in 
Sydney, Australia.  PM Abdullah has attended every APEC summit since 
he became the PM in October 2003. 
 
OIC 
--- 
 
¶30.  Malaysia holds the Chair of OIC and will be replaced by Senegal 
in March 2008.  Kuala Lumpur is also hosting several OIC related 
conferences in Kuala Lumpur in 2007. 
 
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 
-------------------------- --------------------- 
 
¶31.  The last CHOGM meeting was held in Malta in 2005.  The next 
meeting is scheduled to be held in Kampala, Uganda from November 23 
- 25, 2007.  PM Abdullah is expected to attend the meeting. 
 
Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) 
-------------------------- 
 
¶32.  PM Abdullah attended the last meeting in Helsinki, Finland in 
September 2006.  The next ASEM summit is to be held in Beijing 
tentatively scheduled for October 24, 2008. 
 
 
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) 
-------------------------- 
 
¶33.  Malaysia relinquished its Chairmanship of NAM in September 2006 
to Cuba, but remains part of the NAM triumvirate of past, current 
and future chairs.  The next NAM summit will be held in Egypt in 
¶2009. 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000782  005 OF 005 
 
 
 
LAFLEUR