State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and the role of an ADUN

Bahasa Malaysia: Dewan Undangan Negeri · English: State Legislative Assembly · 中文: 州议会

On a state election day, you vote twice. One ballot paper elects your Member of Parliament to be sent to Kuala Lumpur. The other elects your ADUN — your Member of the State Legislative Assembly — to represent your constituency in the state assembly. Two papers, two levels of government, two entirely separate legislatures.

The State Legislative Assembly (DUN) is where that second vote takes on meaning. It is the body that passes land laws, Islamic family laws, and local-government enactments for a state. This page explains what the DUN is, who an ADUN is, and how this state level runs parallel to — yet apart from — the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara at the Federal level.

At a glance

Full name	Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)
Member abbreviation	ADUN — Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri
Level	State (one of 13 states)
Form	Single-chamber (unicameral) legislature
Constitutional basis	Article 71; Part I of the Eighth Schedule, Federal Constitution
Composition	The Ruler and one Assembly, the DUN (section 3)
Number of seats	Fixed by state law (section 4); ~600 in all (DOSM 2015–2018 snapshot, changing)
Member qualifying age	18 and above (section 5)
Maximum term	Five years from the first sitting (section 9(3))
Presiding officer	Yang di-Pertua / Speaker (section 10)
Head of state government	Menteri Besar / Chief Minister (section 2)

What is the DUN, and who is an ADUN?

The State Legislative Assembly is the legislature of a state — an assembly of elected representatives who pass state laws and oversee the state government. Every state has its own DUN; some states use a local name such as “Dewan Negeri” (for example the Dewan Negeri Johor), but it refers to the same thing.

ADUN is the abbreviation for Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri — the person elected to represent a state constituency within that DUN. An ADUN is a “people’s representative” at the state level, just as a Member of Parliament is a people’s representative at the Federal level. Each DUN constituency lies within a larger parliamentary constituency, so one parliamentary constituency usually contains several DUN constituencies.

The most important thing to understand about the DUN is that it is not a small version of Parliament with its own rules made at will. Almost all of its basic features — composition, term, member qualifications, how laws are passed — come from one place: Article 71 and the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.

DUN or Dewan Rakyat — what’s the difference?

Both are legislatures whose members are elected. The key difference is level and scope: the DUN makes laws for one state only, the Dewan Rakyat for the whole Federation. The table below places the DUN alongside the two chambers of Parliament.

Feature	State Legislative Assembly (DUN)	Dewan Rakyat	Dewan Negara
Level	State	Federal	Federal
How members enter	Elected (election)	Elected (election)	Appointed and elected
What members are called	ADUN	Member of Parliament	Senator (Ahli Dewan Negara)
Number	Fixed by state law (section 4); ~600 in all (DOSM snapshot)	222 (Article 46)	2 per state + 4 Federal Territories + 40 appointed (Article 45)
Term	Five years, may be dissolved early (section 9(3))	Five years, may be dissolved early (Article 55(3))	Members’ term three years, unaffected by dissolution (Article 45(3))
Scope of laws	State List and Concurrent List	Federal List and Concurrent List	Same as the Dewan Rakyat (reviews Bills)

A difference that is often overlooked is in the “Number” row. The number of Dewan Rakyat seats — 222 — is written directly into Article 46 of the Federal Constitution (that figure was raised from 219 to 222 by Act A1260, effective 19 January 2006). The number of DUN seats, by contrast, is not set in the Federal Constitution; it is left to each state’s law under section 4(1) of the Eighth Schedule. That is why the number of ADUN differs from one state to another.

Why is the DUN only one chamber while Parliament has two?

The federal Parliament has two chambers: the elected Dewan Rakyat and the largely appointed Dewan Negara. Each DUN, by contrast, has only one elected chamber.

The reason lies in section 3 of the Eighth Schedule, which states it in a single sentence: the State Legislature shall consist of the Ruler and one Assembly, namely the Legislative Assembly. There is no second chamber at the state level. The word “Ruler” in that sentence matters — it shows that the “State Legislature” is not merely the assembly of elected members, but also includes the Ruler, because a Bill only becomes an enactment after it has been assented to (see the section on enactments below).

Where does the DUN get its power from?

Malaysia is a federation of 13 states, and Article 71 does not permit each state to form its legislature as it pleases. Article 71(4) provides that if a state’s Constitution does not contain the provisions set out in Part I of the Eighth Schedule — referred to as the “essential provisions” — or provisions that are substantially the same, then Parliament may make law to enforce those essential provisions in that state.

The effect is a shared framework. Each state writes its own Constitution, but the core structure of the DUN is standardised by the Eighth Schedule. The following sections are the backbone of every DUN:

Section (Eighth Schedule)	What it sets out
Section 2	The State Executive Council, the Menteri Besar and responsibility to the DUN
Section 3	Composition: the Ruler and one Assembly, the DUN
Section 4	Members are elected; the number is fixed by state law
Section 5	Qualification to be a member: a citizen aged 18, resident in the state
Section 6	Grounds for disqualification
Section 9	Summoning, proroguing and dissolving the DUN; the five-year term
Section 10	The Yang di-Pertua (Speaker)
Section 11	How a state Bill is passed and assented to
Section 14	Statement of estimated receipts and expenditure (the state budget)

Who can become an ADUN?

Section 5 sets out the basic requirement in a single sentence: every citizen aged eighteen years or above who is resident in the state is qualified to be a member of the DUN, unless disqualified under the Constitution or a law.

That figure of 18 is new. Previously the age limit was 21 years; the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2019 [Act A1603] replaced the words “twenty-one years” with “eighteen years” in section 5. The 2020 Reprint already incorporates this amendment. (The effective date of the Undi18 provision was implemented in stages; verify the exact date against the official gazette when it becomes important.)

Note the difference with the Dewan Negara: there, Article 47 sets a higher minimum age for a Senator. For the DUN and the Dewan Rakyat, the qualifying age is now the same, at 18 years.

Section 6 lists the grounds on which a person is disqualified from being a member of the DUN:

• is found or declared to be of unsound mind;
• is an undischarged bankrupt;
• holds an office of profit;
• has failed to lodge a return of election expenses required by law;
• has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than one year or a fine of not less than RM2,000, without a free pardon;
• is disqualified under a law relating to election offences; or
• has voluntarily acquired or exercised the citizenship of a foreign country, or has made a declaration of allegiance to a foreign country.

For the last two grounds relating to the return of expenses and conviction, section 6(2) allows the Ruler to remove the disqualification; if it is not removed, it ceases after five years.

How long is a DUN term?

Section 9 governs the life cycle of the DUN, and it is almost identical to Article 55, which governs Parliament:

• Section 9(1) — the Ruler shall summon the DUN from time to time and shall not allow six months to elapse between the last sitting of one session and the first meeting of the next session.
• Section 9(2) — the Ruler may prorogue or dissolve the DUN.
• Section 9(3) — unless dissolved earlier, the DUN runs for five years from the date of its first meeting, and then dissolves of its own accord.
• Section 9(4) — when the DUN is dissolved, a general election shall be held within 60 days, and the new DUN shall be summoned to meet not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution.
• Section 9(5) — a casual vacancy is filled within 60 days, subject to one condition: if the vacancy occurs within two years before the DUN is due to dissolve, it is not filled unless the Yang di-Pertua notifies the Election Commission that the numerical strength of the majority party is affected.

Because the terms of the DUN and Parliament are separate, a state election does not necessarily happen at the same time as a federal general election — a DUN can be dissolved on its own schedule.

How is a state enactment made?

The DUN passes state laws, which are commonly known as Enactments. The path of a Bill is set out in section 11:

1. Section 11(1) — the power to make law is exercised through a Bill passed by the DUN and assented to by the Ruler.
2. Section 11(2) — a Bill involving expenditure from the State Consolidated Fund can only be introduced by a member of the State Executive Council (EXCO).
3. Section 11(2A) — the Ruler shall assent to the Bill within 30 days after it is presented.
4. Section 11(2B) — if it is not assented to within that period, the Bill becomes law when the 30 days lapse, as if it had been assented to.
5. Section 11(3) — it becomes law upon assent, but no law comes into force until it is published.

The election of the presiding officer is described in section 10: the DUN elects a Yang di-Pertua (Speaker), and may not transact any other business while that office is vacant other than electing one. Interestingly, sections 10(1A) and 10(1B) allow a person who is not a member of the DUN to be elected as Yang di-Pertua provided they are qualified to be a member — in that case they become an additional member but are not entitled to vote.

What power does the DUN have over the state government?

The DUN is not merely a machine for passing laws; it is also where the state government obtains its mandate and is held accountable. Section 2 of the Eighth Schedule connects it to the state’s executive branch, the State Executive Council (EXCO):

• Section 2(2)(a) — the Ruler first appoints as Menteri Besar a member of the DUN who in their judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly.
• Section 2(2)(b) — on the advice of the Menteri Besar, the Ruler appoints not more than ten and not less than four other members from among the members of the DUN.
• Section 2(5) — the State Executive Council is collectively responsible to the DUN.
• Section 2(6) — if the Menteri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the DUN, they shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council — unless, at their request, the Ruler dissolves the DUN.

Financial power lies in section 14: for each financial year, the Ruler shall cause a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the state — the state budget — to be laid before the DUN. In this way, the power to spend state money rests on the consent of the DUN.

What can and cannot the DUN make laws about?

The scope of the DUN’s power is not unlimited. It depends on the division of powers in the Federal, State and Concurrent Lists (Ninth Schedule):

• Article 73(b) — a State Legislature may make laws for the whole or any part of the state.
• Article 74(2) — the DUN may only make laws on matters in the State List (Second List) or the Concurrent List (Third List). Examples of State List matters include land, local government, and Syariah law for Muslims.
• Article 75 — if a state law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law prevails and the state law is void to the extent of the inconsistency.

There is also a flow in the opposite direction. Article 76 allows Parliament to make law on State List matters in limited circumstances — to implement an international treaty, to promote uniformity between states, or when requested by the DUN of a state. Even in those circumstances, Article 76(2) forbids Parliament from making law on Syariah law or Malay custom, or the law and custom of the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, without consulting the state government concerned.

The internal proceedings of the DUN are also protected. Article 72(1) provides that the validity of any proceedings in the DUN shall not be questioned in any court, and Article 72(2) gives members immunity from court action for anything said or any vote given in DUN proceedings.

How to tell whether an issue is a matter for the DUN or Parliament

When a policy issue arises, one quick way to know which level is responsible:

1. Is it in the Federal List? (for example defence, citizenship, income tax) — if so, it is a matter for Parliament, not the DUN.
2. Is it in the State List? (for example land, local government, Syariah law) — if so, the DUN of the state concerned passes the law.
3. Is it in the Concurrent List? (for example social welfare, housing) — both levels can make law, but if there is a conflict, the federal law prevails (Article 75).

Refer to the federal–state division of powers for the full list.

States without a Ruler

Nine states have a Ruler: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu. The four other states — Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak — do not have a Ruler. Article 160(2) defines the Yang di-Pertua Negeri as “the Head of State in a State not having a Ruler”.

In these states, the functions conferred on the “Ruler” under the Eighth Schedule — summoning and dissolving the DUN, assenting to Bills, appointing the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister — are carried out by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. Article 160(2) also records a historical detail: the definition of “Legislative Assembly” specifically includes the Council Negri in Sarawak, the old name for the Sarawak DUN.

How many DUN constituencies are there in Malaysia?

Because the number of seats is fixed state by state, there is no single number in the Federal Constitution that sets the size of all the DUN. Overall, however, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) data catalogue covers 600 DUN constituencies across 13 states, according to the boundaries set through the redelineation of 2015 to 2018. The three Federal Territories — Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya — are not included because they do not have a DUN.

That figure of 600 is a snapshot, not a fixed number. It has already moved: in July 2025, the Sarawak DUN approved a bill to raise its number of seats from 82 to 99, which triggered a redelineation by the Election Commission before the next state election. So for an accurate current total, verify against the official EC gazette rather than the old catalogue figure.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the DUN with the Dewan Negara. The DUN is the legislature of a state; the Dewan Negara is the upper chamber of the federal Parliament. The name “Dewan Negeri” used by some states refers to the DUN, not the Dewan Negara.
• Assuming the number of DUN seats is set in the Federal Constitution. It is not. Section 4(1) leaves it to each state’s law, so the number differs between states.
• Assuming Federal Territories have a DUN. Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya are not states; laws for the Federal Territories are made by Parliament.
• Assuming the DUN must be dissolved at the same time as Parliament. The term of each DUN is counted separately under section 9(3), so a state election can happen at a different time from a general election.
• Confusing the size of the EXCO with the number of DUN members. Section 2(2)(b) limits the members of the State Executive Council (other than the Menteri Besar) to not more than ten and not less than four — this is not the total number of DUN members.
• Stating the ADUN qualifying age as 21 years. Since Act A1603, the age to qualify as a member of the DUN under section 5 is 18 years.

Related terms

• Dewan Rakyat — the elected chamber of the federal Parliament
• Dewan Negara — the upper chamber of the federal Parliament
• Menteri Besar or Chief Minister — the head of the state government
• State Legislative Assembly: full constitutional account — an in-depth treatment of the Eighth Schedule
• Who makes what law: the Federal, State and Concurrent Lists
• Federal Constitution

What’s next

When you read a statement about the DUN — how many seats a state has, who can become an ADUN, or when the DUN must sit — find the section of the Eighth Schedule that supports it, then verify that section against the current text of the Federal Constitution at lom.agc.gov.my. The number of seats for each state, in turn, lies in that state’s own law, not in the Federal Constitution.

To see the DUN in a wider picture, move on to the federal–state division of powers to understand what a DUN can make laws about, or to the Dewan Rakyat to compare the state level with the Federal level.

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This article is written descriptively — covering structure and function only — and remains an AI draft until reviewed by a human. Every provision has been verified against the text of the Federal Constitution (2020 Reprint, Malay-language version) at lom.agc.gov.my. The total of 600 DUN constituencies is cited from the OpenDOSM data catalogue (a snapshot based on the 2015–2018 boundaries) and is a changing figure — see the freshness note in the body of the article and the verificationNeeded list.