Editing Politics of Malaysia (section)

==State governments==
{{main|Federalism in Malaysia}}
Each state has a unicameral state legislative chamber ({{langx|ms|Dewan Undangan Negeri}}) whose members are elected from single-member constituencies. State governments are led by Chief Ministers<ref name="state.gov"/> (''[[Menteri Besar]]'' in Malay states or ''Ketua Menteri'' in states without hereditary rulers), who are state assembly members from the majority party in the Dewan Undangan Negeri. They advise their respective sultans or governors. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister is required to be an [[ethnic Malay]], appointed by the Sultan upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister.<ref>{{Cite book
  | last = United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
  | author-link = United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
  | title = The management of secondary cities in southeast Asia
  | publisher = United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
  | year = 1996
  | location = Nairobi
  | page = 120
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=P-3155j7FLkC
  | isbn = 92-1-131313-9}}</ref> [[Elections in Malaysia|Parliamentary elections]] are held at least once every five years, with the last general election being in May 2018.<ref name="state.gov"/> Registered voters of age 18 and above may vote for the members of the House of Representatives and, in most of the states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting is not mandatory.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ipu.org/parline/reports/2197.htm
|title= Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat)
|publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union
|date=29 September 2008
}}</ref>
Although Malaysia is a federal state, political scientists have suggested that its "federalism is highly centralised":
{{blockquote|Our federalism gives the federal government not only the most legislative and executive powers but also the most important sources of revenue. State governments are excluded from the revenues of income tax, export, import and excise duties, and they are also largely restricted from borrowing internationally. They have to depend on revenue from forests, lands, mines, petroleum, the entertainment industry, and finally, transfer payments from the central government.<ref>{{cite book |title=Malaysia electoral, political parties laws and regulations handbook |date=2015 |publisher=International Business Publications, USA |location=United States |isbn=9781514517321 |page=78 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulutDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA78 |access-date=17 January 2021}}</ref>}}