Chief Minister of Malacca

The chief minister of Malacca is the leader of the government in the Malaysian state of Malacca. This important job is usually held by the person whose party has the most support in the Malacca State Legislative Assembly.

Currently, the chief minister is Ab Rauf Yusoh, who began his term on 31 March 2023. As the head of government, the chief minister helps guide the state and make decisions that affect the people of Malacca.

Appointment

The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca picks the chief minister. The chief minister must be a member of the Legislative Assembly who can get the support of most members. They also must be a Malaysian citizen. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri can choose up to ten but no fewer than four members of the Legislative Assembly to join the Executive Council, which helps the chief minister.

Members of the Executive Council must promise to do their job well and keep secrets before they can start working. They are responsible to the Legislative Assembly and cannot have other jobs that might cause problems. If the government cannot pass its budget or if the Legislative Assembly says it does not trust the government, the chief minister must step down. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri will then pick a new chief minister, usually the leader of the party that still has the most support.

Powers

The chief minister of Malacca has certain limits on their power. If they are no longer the leader of their party or if the government loses a vote of no confidence, they must either call for a new election, leave the job, or be asked to leave by the state leader. If the government cannot pass a supply bill (a bill about spending money) or important laws, it is usually required to leave or end the Legislative Assembly, just like losing a vote of no confidence.

Because the chief minister's party usually has the most seats and follows the party rules very closely, getting laws passed in the Legislative Assembly is generally easy for them.

Caretaker chief minister

The Legislative Assembly of Malacca lasts for five years from its first meeting, unless it is dissolved earlier by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. The state rules allow up to 60 days after dissolution for a general election, and the Assembly must meet again within 120 days of dissolution. During this time, the chief minister and the executive council stay in office temporarily, known as a caretaker role.

List of chief ministers of Malacca

The following is the list of chief ministers of Malacca since 1957:

Colour key (for political parties):
  Alliance /   BN   PH

Living former chief ministers

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office			Party		Election	Assembly
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Osman Talib (1925–1984)	31 August 1957	1 June 1959	1 year, 275 days		Alliance (UMNO)	–	–
2		Abdul Ghafar Baba (1925–2006) MLA for Tanjong Kling	1 June 1959	7 October 1967	8 years, 129 days		Alliance (UMNO)	1959	1st
								1964	2nd
3		Talib Karim (1911–1977) MLA for Alor Gajah	7 October 1967	1 August 1972	4 years, 300 days		Alliance (UMNO)	–
								1969	3rd
4		Abdul Ghani Ali (1923–2004) MLA for Ramuan China (until 1974) MLA for Sungei Bahru (from 1974)	1 August 1972	11 July 1978	5 years, 345 days		Alliance (UMNO)	–
							BN (UMNO)	1974	4th
5		Mohd Adib Mohamad Adam (1941–2022) MLA for Ayer Panas	11 July 1978	26 April 1982	3 years, 290 days		BN (UMNO)	1978	5th
6		Tan Sri Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik (born 1950) MLA for Kelemak (until 1986) MLA for Masjid Tanah (from 1986)	26 April 1982	14 October 1994	12 years, 172 days		BN (UMNO)	1982	6th
								1986	7th
								1990	8th
7		Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Abdul Ghani (1941–1997) MLA for Kelemak (until 1995) MLA for Melekek (from 1995)	14 October 1994	14 May 1997	2 years, 213 days		BN (UMNO)	–
								1995	9th
8		Datuk Seri Abu Zahar Ithnin (1937–2013) MLA for Merlimau	23 May 1997	2 December 1999	2 years, 194 days		BN (UMNO)	–
9		Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (born 1949) MLA for Paya Rumput (until 2004) MLA for Bukit Baru (from 2004)	2 December 1999	7 May 2013	13 years, 157 days		BN (UMNO)	1999	10th
								2004	11th
								2008	12th
10		Datuk Seri Utama Idris Haron (born 1966) MLA for Sungai Udang	7 May 2013	11 May 2018	5 years, 5 days		BN (UMNO)	2013	13th
11		Adly Zahari (born 1971) MLA for Bukit Katil	11 May 2018	9 March 2020	1 year, 304 days		PH (AMANAH)	2018	14th
12		Datuk Seri Utama Sulaiman Md Ali (born 1966) MLA for Lendu	9 March 2020	31 March 2023	3 years, 23 days		BN (UMNO)	–
								2021	15th
13		Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Yusoh (born 1961) MLA for Tanjung Bidara	31 March 2023	Incumbent	3 years, 50 days		BN (UMNO)	–