Federalism Malaysia: Federal govt or central govt? - Salleh

Minister of Communications and Multimedia Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has denied allegations that the federal government controlled the powers of the state governments in Malaysia.

Denying the allegations, Salleh pointed out that the Malaysian government was more accurately called the federal government instead of the central government because the Malaysian government is the property of all Malaysians in the Federation of Malaysia.

"Malaysia is using the federal state system with the main feature on the division of power between federal and state governments as prescribed by the constitution.

"Meanwhile, the unitary state system is a country that is governed as a single power, in which the central government has the highest authority. Its territories only operate as authorised by the central government that have the authority or power to expand, narrow down or abolish the power held by the provincial government," he said in his posting on his website sskeruak.blogspot.my.

Salleh said the main feature of the federal state system was democracy and 'unity in diversity', unlike the unitary state system, where all of its powers is controlled by the central government.

He explained that the term, central government, was only suitable for a unitary state system while federal government was the accurate term for a federal state system.

He added that in a federal state system, power or authority in certain areas would be held by the territories (states).

- BERNAMA