Kings are elected for five-year terms from among the nine sultans of the peninsular Malaysian states. The king also is the leader of the Islamic faith in Malaysia. The cabinet is chosen from among members of both houses of parliament and is responsible to that body. Representatives of the House are elected from single-member districts by universal adult suffrage. The 192 members of the House of Representatives are elected to maximum terms of five years.
Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures.
The Malaysian legal system is based on English common law. Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia on Borneo each have a high court. The states of East Malaysia enjoy guarantees of state rights with regard to immigration, civil service, and customs matters. Control over oil and timber, and the distribution of revenues from taxes from these resources, as well as state autonomy in areas such as education and information, remain sources of controversy between the federal government and the states of East Malaysia, particularly Sabah. Razali bin Ismail Malaysia maintains an embassy in the U.S. at 2401 Massachusetts Ave.