Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia

Although Malaysia has always had a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, a Prime Minister may choose not to appoint a Deputy Prime Minister. The office of Deputy Prime Minister is not provided for in the Constitution of Malaysia. At the same time, a Prime Minister could appoint more than one Deputy Prime Minister, as has occurred before in Singapore.

By the practice of the past ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, where the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) was the unofficial leader, the UMNO Deputy President was usually appointed the Deputy Prime Minister by the Prime Minister (who was the UMNO President). In the organisational structure of Barisan Nasional, the President and Deputy President of UMNO were automatically made the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional.

From 21 May 2018 until 24 February 2020, the ruling coalition - Pakatan Harapan, a coalition of four equal partner parties, the holder of the position of Deputy Prime Minister was decided upon by the coalition's Presidential Council. The postholder was Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail, who was the first female holder of post.

Of the twelve previous officeholders, six have stepped up to become Prime Ministers. Of the remaining, one died in office, two resigned, two were removed from office (including one who later became Prime Minister) by the sitting Prime Minister, and two disqualified from office due to defeat in the 2018 general election and collapse of the federal administration in 2020 political crisis.

Ismail Abdul Rahman died in office due to massive heart attack in 1973. Musa Hitam resigned from second Mahathir cabinet over differences with Prime Minister over government policy in 1986. Ghafar Baba resigned from his portfolio following UMNO grassroots lost confidence in his leadership and his position as Deputy President of UMNO was challenged by Anwar Ibrahim in the UMNO's top leadership election. Anwar Ibrahim was the first deputy prime minister to be sacked after being accused and subsequently charged with corruption and sodomy in 1998. Muhyiddin Yassin was the second DPM to be removed from office after being dropped from the Cabinet by former Prime Minister Najib Razak in a reshuffle in 2015.[2] He later was sacked from his party.[3] Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was disqualified from office after the seventh Mahathir cabinet was dissolved due to its fall from the federal administration in 2020.

Colour key (for political parties):
  Alliance   Barisan Nasional   Pakatan Harapan

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Party
1		Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976)	31 August 1957	22 September 1970	13 years, 22 days		Alliance (UMNO)
2		Ismail Abdul Rahman (1915–1973)	22 September 1970	2 August 1973	2 years, 314 days
3		Hussein Onn (1922–1990)	13 August 1973	15 January 1976	2 years, 155 days
							Barisan Nasional (UMNO)
4		Mahathir Mohamad (b. 1925)	5 March 1976	16 July 1981	5 years, 133 days
5		Musa Hitam (b. 1934)	18 July 1981	16 March 1986	4 years, 241 days
6		Abdul Ghafar Baba (1925–2006)	10 May 1986	15 October 1993	7 years, 158 days
7		Anwar Ibrahim (b. 1947)	1 December 1993	2 September 1998	4 years, 275 days
8		Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (b. 1939)	8 January 1999	31 October 2003	4 years, 296 days
9		Mohd Najib Abdul Razak (b. 1953)	7 January 2004	3 April 2009	5 years, 86 days
10		Muhyiddin Yassin (b. 1947)	10 April 2009	29 July 2015	6 years, 110 days
11		Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (b. 1953)	29 July 2015	10 May 2018	2 years, 285 days
12		Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (b. 1952)	21 May 2018	24 February 2020	1 year, 279 days		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)

Timeline

No Members of Parliament (MPs) have been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister in the current cabinet under Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Instead, he has appointed four senior ministers. They are responsible for helping the Prime Minister coordinate cabinet affairs on economics, security, infrastructure development & education and society.

Senior ministers will also assist the Prime Minister in carrying out his duties as Prime Minister including chairing Cabinet meetings during his absence. Thus, with the presence of these senior ministers, there is currently no need for a Deputy Prime Minister to be appointed.

Colour key (for political parties):
  Perikatan Nasional   Barisan Nasional   Gabungan Parti Sarawak

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Coordinating	Term of Office			Political Party
1		Mohamed Azmin Ali (b.1964)	Finance and Economics	10 March 2020	Incumbent	334 days		PN (BERSATU)
2		Ismail Sabri Yaakob (b.1960)	Security					BN (UMNO)
3		Fadillah Yusof (b.1962)	Infrastructure Development					GPS (PBB)
4		Mohd. Radzi Md. Jidin (b.1977)	Education and Social					PN (BERSATU)

• Living former Deputy Prime Ministers
• 
  Mahathir Mohamad
  served 1976–1981
  born 1925 (age 95)
• 
  Musa Hitam
  served 1981–1986
  born 1934 (age 86)
• 
  Anwar Ibrahim
  served 1993–1998
  born 1947 (age 73)
• 
  Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
  served 1999–2003
  born 1939 (age 81)
• 
  Mohd Najib Abdul Razak
  served 2004–2009
  born 1953 (age 67)
• 
  Muhyiddin Yassin
  served 2009–2015
  born 1947 (age 73)
• 
  Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
  served 2015–2018
  born 1953 (age 68)
• 
  Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
  served 2018–2020
  born 1952 (age 68)

• Spouse of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Official state car
• Air transports of heads of state and government