# Menteri Besar of Perlis

The Menteri Besar of Perlis or First Minister of Perlis is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Perlis. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly.
The 10th and current Menteri Besar of Perlis is Mohd Shukri Ramli, who took office on 22 November 2022.

## Appointment

According to the state constitution, the Raja of Perlis 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 Raja 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 Raja 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 Raja'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hold office during the pleasure of the Raja, unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Raja on the advice of the Menteri Besar but may at any time resign his office.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 Raja 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 Raja. 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 Perlis 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 Raja 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 Perlis

The following is the list of Menteris Besar of Perlis since 1948:
Colour key (for political parties):  Alliance Party  Barisan Nasional  Independent  Perikatan Nasional
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Election | Assembly |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Party | Election | Assembly |
| 1 | | Raja Ahmad Raja Endut (1891–1978) | 1 February 1948 | 30 January 1957 | 8 years, 365 days | | Independent | – | – |
| 2 | | Mohd Razali Mohamed Ali Wasi (born 1903) | 31 January 1957 | 30 April 1959 | 2 years, 90 days | | Independent | – | – |
| 3 | | Sheikh Ahmad Mohd Hashim (1896–1986) MLA for Bintong (until 1964) MLA for Kuala Perlis (from 1964) | 1 May 1959 | 31 December 1971 | 12 years, 245 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1959 | 1st |
| 3 | | Sheikh Ahmad Mohd Hashim (1896–1986) MLA for Bintong (until 1964) MLA for Kuala Perlis (from 1964) | 1 May 1959 | 31 December 1971 | 12 years, 245 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1964 | 2nd |
| 3 | | Sheikh Ahmad Mohd Hashim (1896–1986) MLA for Bintong (until 1964) MLA for Kuala Perlis (from 1964) | 1 May 1959 | 31 December 1971 | 12 years, 245 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1969 | 3rd |
| 4 | | Jaafar Hassan (born 1926) MLA for Sanglang (until 1974) MLA for Bintong (from 1974) | 1 January 1972 | 22 October 1981 | 9 years, 295 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | – | 3rd |
| 4 | | Jaafar Hassan (born 1926) MLA for Sanglang (until 1974) MLA for Bintong (from 1974) | 1 January 1972 | 22 October 1981 | 9 years, 295 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1974 | 4th |
| 4 | | Jaafar Hassan (born 1926) MLA for Sanglang (until 1974) MLA for Bintong (from 1974) | 1 January 1972 | 22 October 1981 | 9 years, 295 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1978 | 5th |
| 5 | | Ali Ahmad (born 1924) MLA for Oran | 1 November 1981 | 13 August 1986 | 4 years, 286 days | | BN (UMNO) | – | 5th |
| 5 | | Ali Ahmad (born 1924) MLA for Oran | 1 November 1981 | 13 August 1986 | 4 years, 286 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1982 | 6th |
| 6 | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (1944–2022) MLA for Kota Raja | 13 August 1986 | 6 May 1995 | 8 years, 267 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1986 | 7th |
| 6 | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (1944–2022) MLA for Kota Raja | 13 August 1986 | 6 May 1995 | 8 years, 267 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1990 | 8th |
| 7 | | Dato' Seri Shahidan Kassim (born 1951) MLA for Tambun Tulang | 6 May 1995 | 17 March 2008 | 12 years, 317 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1995 | 9th |
| 7 | | Dato' Seri Shahidan Kassim (born 1951) MLA for Tambun Tulang | 6 May 1995 | 17 March 2008 | 12 years, 317 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1999 | 10th |
| 7 | | Dato' Seri Shahidan Kassim (born 1951) MLA for Tambun Tulang | 6 May 1995 | 17 March 2008 | 12 years, 317 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2004 | 11th |
| 8 | | Dato' Seri Md Isa Sabu (born 1946) MLA for Bintong | 17 March 2008 | 7 May 2013 | 5 years, 52 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2008 | 12th |
| 9 | | Dato' Seri Azlan Man (born 1958) MLA for Pauh (2013–2018) MLA for Bintong (2018–2022) | 7 May 2013 | 22 November 2022 | 9 years, 200 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2013 | 13th |
| 9 | | Dato' Seri Azlan Man (born 1958) MLA for Pauh (2013–2018) MLA for Bintong (2018–2022) | 7 May 2013 | 22 November 2022 | 9 years, 200 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2018 | 14th |
| 10 | | Mohd Shukri Ramli (born 1961) MLA for Sanglang | 22 November 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 324 days | | PN (PAS) | 2022 | 15th |
* ↑ 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.