This is a list of political parties in Malaysia, including existing and historical ones.
Legislation Under the current legislation, all political parties (termed "Political Associations") must be registered under the Societies Act.
Anti-hopping parties law In Malaysian politics, a frog (Malay: katak politik) (Sabahan: Buhangkut politik) refers to an act where a politician crosses the bench from one party to another (changing support). This term was first coined during the 1994 Sabah state elections after United Sabah Party losing its majority even the party won the state elections. Despite its usage nationwide, it is more familiar within the state of Sabah. Since May 25, 2023, nine states of Malaysia has approved the "Anti-Switching Parties Law" or "Anti-Hopping Parties Law" for both states legislative assembly and parliament including Sabah and Sarawak.
Election expenses The Election Offences Act 1954 regulates the maximum expenses allowed for candidates vying for parliamentary seats and for state seats during the campaign period (excluding before the nomination day and after election day). The permissible campaign expenditure set by the Election Offences Act (1954) is RM 100,000 per candidate for state seats and RM 200,000 per candidate for federal seats. According to this guideline, with 505 state seats and 222 parliamentary seats in the 2013 general election, the maximum amount that Barisan Nasional was allowed to spend was only about RM 95 million. Due to the lack of records and regulations, Malaysian politicians may not even know how much they spent on their campaigns or overspending the expenditure than permitted by law. Another related problem was the secrecy surrounding political funds and their use. Although many politicians, including members of newly appointed cabinets, voluntarily disclosed their personal finances, such disclosure is not compulsory and many sources of revenue remain obscure.
Election deposits The deposit was RM 10,000 to contest a parliamentary seat, or RM 5,000 to contest a state assembly seat. The deposit is used to pay for infringements of election laws and is returned after polling day unless the candidate loses and fails to garner more than 12.5 per cent or one-eighth of the votes cast. Additionally it is required that each candidate provide a RM 5,000 deposit for cleaning up banners and posters after the election.
Political donations Political donations are legal in Malaysia. There is no limit, and parties are not obliged to disclose the source of the funding, which makes political donations a vague subject but still entirely legal in the country. All political donations are allowed to be given into accounts of individuals and accounts of the political party. Anonymous donors and foreigners may request not to reveal their identities.
Political parties are funded by contributions from: party members and individual supporters (via membership fees/dues/subscriptions and/or local/foreign small donations), organisations, which share their political views (e.g. by trade union affiliation fees) or which stand to benefit from their activities (e.g. by local/foreign corporate donations) or taxpayers respectively the general revenue fund (by grants that are called state aid, government or public funding).
Latest election results
Currently active parties
Parties represented in the Parliament and/or the state legislative assemblies This is the list of coalitions and parties that have representation in the Parliament of Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat & Dewan Negara) and/or the state legislative assemblies, sorted by seats held in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. Unless noted, numbers exclude independents and loose allies linked to each party
Coalition and PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition DewanRakyat DewanNegara StateAssemblies Vote share(2022) Federalgovernment Pakatan Harapan Alliance of Hope PH Anwar Ibrahim Centre-left to left-wing 37.00% Perikatan Nasional National Alliance PN Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar Right-wing to far-right 30.04% Barisan Nasional National Front BN Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Conservatism Centre-right to right-wing 22.24% Gabungan Parti SarawakSarawak Parties Alliance GPS Abang Johari Centre-right to right-wing 4.26% Gabungan Rakyat SabahSabah People's Coalition GRS Hajiji Noor Centre to centre-right 1.03% Parti WarisanHeritage Party Warisan Shafie Apdal Centre 1.93% Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik MasyarakatSocial Democratic Harmony Party KDM Priscella Peter Sabah regionalism Populism Centre 0.34% Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Homeland Solidarity Party STAR Jeffrey Kitingan Sabah regionalism Centre 0.19% Malaysian United Democratic Alliance Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia MUDA Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz Social democracy Centre-left 0.48% Parti Bangsa Malaysia Malaysian Nation Party PBM Larry Sng Multiracialism Centre-left 0.11% Parti Pejuang Tanah Air PEJUANG Mukhriz Mahathir Islamic democracy Centre-right 0.81% Excludes the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation, which was part of the coalition in the 2022 election but subsequently left in 2025. The coalition contested seats in Kelantan and Terengganu using the symbol of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party while other states were contested using the symbol of the coalition.
Excludes the Homeland Solidarity Party and Sabah Progressive Party, which were part of the coalition in the 2022 election but subsequently left in 2025. The party was taken over by former Bersatu/Perikatan Nasional members. The party contested as a part of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah but withdrew from the coalition before the 2025 Sabah state election. The party contested in an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan.
Coalitions and electoral pacts
Pakatan Harapan (PH, Alliance of Hope)
The list is sorted by the year in which the respective parties were legalised and registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition Registered Internationalaffiliation Notes Democratic Action Party Parti Tindakan Demokratik DAP Anthony Loke Siew Fook • Social democracy • National secularism Left-wing 1966 Progressive Alliance Parti Keadilan Rakyat People's Justice Party PKR Anwar Ibrahim • Social liberalism • Malaysian reformism Centre-left to left-wing 2003 (1991) N/A Parti Amanah Negara National Trust Party AMANAH Mohamad Sabu • Islamic modernism • National progressivism Centre to centre-left 2015 (1978) N/A Originally registered as Ikatan Masyarakat Islam Malaysia (Muslim Community Union of Malaysia) in 1991, the party was reorganised with new leadership in 1999 and renamed Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party). In 2003, the party merged with Parti Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian People's Party) and was again renamed to its current name. In 2005, a small left-wing group left the party to reorganise Parti Rakyat Malaysia just prior to its de-registration. Originally registered as Parti Pekerja-Pekerja Malaysia (Malaysian Worker's Party) in 1978, the party was reorganised with new leadership in 2015 and renamed to its current name.
Perikatan Nasional (PN, National Alliance)
The list is sorted by the year in which the respective parties were legalised and registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition Registered Internationalaffiliation Notes Parti Islam Se-Malaysia Malaysian Islamic Party PAS Abdul Hadi Awang Islamism Right-wing to far-right 1955 Muslim Brotherhood(Ikhwanul Muslimin) Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Malaysian People's Movement Party GERAKAN Dominic Lau Hoe Chai LiberalismConservative politics Centre to centre-right 1968 Liberal International (observer)Parti Wawasan Negara National Vision PartyWAWASANHamzah ZainudinMalay nationalismMultiracialismConservatismRight-wing2026 (2009)N/A Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Malaysian United Indigenous Party BERSATU Muhyiddin Yassin Malay nationalism Right-wing to centre-right 2016 N/A Malaysian Indian People's Party Parti Rakyat India Malaysia MIPP Punithan Paramsiven Malaysian Indians' interests N/A 2019 N/AParti Pejuang Tanah Air Homeland Fighters' Party PEJUANGMukhriz MahathirMalay nationalismRight-wing 2021 N/A Originally registered as Parti Cinta Malaysia (Love Malaysia Party) in 2009, the party was reorganised with new leadership in 2026 and renamed to its current name
Barisan Nasional (BN, National Front) The list is sorted by the year in which the respective parties were legalised and registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition Registered Internationalaffiliation Notes United Malays National Organisation Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu UMNO Ahmad Zahid Hamidi • Ketuanan Melayu • National conservatism Right-wing to far-right 1946 (1988) N/A Malaysian Indian Congress Kongres India Malaysia MIC Vigneswaran Sanasee • Malaysian Indian interest • Social conservatism Right-wing 1946 (1963) N/A Malaysian Chinese Association Persatuan Cina Malaysia MCA Wee Ka Siong • Malaysian Chinese interest • Social conservatism Right-wing to centre-right 1949 (1963) N/A Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah United Sabah People's Party PBRS Arthur Joseph Kurup Sabah nationalism Right-wing to centre-right 1994 N/A People's Progressive Party Parti Progresif Penduduk myPPP Loga Bala Mohan Jaganathan Liberal conservatism Civic nationalism Centre-right 1953 (2023) N/A Originally registered in 1946, UMNO was deregistered in 1988 and the then Prime Minister registered a new party, UMNO Baru the same year. UMNO Baru is considered a successor party to the original UMNO. The suffix Baru or New was dropped from the name in July the same year Originally registered as the Malayan Indian Congress, the name was changed to the current name after the formation of Malaysia in 1963 Originally registered as the Malayan Chinese Association, the name was changed to the current name after the formation of Malaysia in 1963 Following the 2018 general election, the party suffered a split and was de-registered in 2019. It was re-registered in 2023.
Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA, Homeland Movement) The list is sorted by the year in which the respective parties were legalised and registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition Registered Internationalaffiliation Notes Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia Pan Malaysian Islamic Front BERJASA Zamani bin Ibrahim Islamic democracy National conservatism Centre 1977 N/A Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia Malaysia Mighty Bumiputera Party PUTRA Ibrahim Ali National conservatismMalaysian reformismCentre-right 2019 N/A National Indian Muslim Alliance Party National Indian Muslim Alliance Party IMAN Mohammed Mosin Abdul Razak Islamic democracy Social liberalismCentre 2019 N/A
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS, Sarawak Parties Coalition) The list is sorted by the year in which the respective parties were legalised and registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
PartyAbbrLeaderIdeologyPosition Registered Internationalaffiliation Notes Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu United Traditional Bumiputera Party PBB Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg Ketuanan Bumiputera Right-wing populism Right-wing to centre-right 1973 N/A Progressive Democratic Party Parti Demokratik Progresif PDP Tiong King Sing Conservatism Nationalism Multiracialism Right-wing to centre-right 2002 (2017) N/A Sarawak United Peoples' Party Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak SUPP Sim Kui Hian Regionalism Centre 1959 N/A Parti Rakyat Sarawak Sarawak People's Party PRS Joseph Salang Gandum N/A Centre 2004 N/A The party is a result of a merger between Parti Bumiputera Sarawak (Sarawak Bumiputera Party), itself a merger established in 1968 between Parti Negara Sarawak (National Party of Sarawak or PANAS established in 1960) and Barisan Ra'ayat Jati Sarawak (Sarawak Native People's Front or BARJASA established in 1961), and Parti Pesaka Anak Sarawak (Sarawak Native's Heritage Party or PESAKA established in 1961)