The position of Chief Minister has existed in Malaya since the Federal Agreement on 1 February 1948, where one of the characteristics of the Federal Government of Malaya is:-

"The State is headed by the Sultan of each state. The State Administration is headed by a Menteri Besar, while Penang and Melaka are headed by the Chief Minister."

In fact, in the characteristics of the Federal Constitution of Malaya 1957, it is stated that at the state level, the Head of the Constitution lies with the King or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. Each state has a State Legislative Assembly with members elected through elections for a period of 5 years, headed by the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister. The Chief Executive of the State Government lies with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri according to their respective constitutions. A Chief Minister is appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. In Peninsular Malaysia, this Executive Power is exercised by the State Government Council chaired by the Chief Minister, while in Sarawak, the body is called the Supreme Council, while in Sabah, it is known as the Cabinet, also chaired by the Chief Minister.

The Malaysian Constitution of 1963 has established an agreement on the division of government powers between the Central Government and the State Governments. The areas of authority of the Central Government are as follows:

• Health
• Finance
• Foreign Affairs
• Education
• Defense
• General Welfare
• General Welfare
• Justice

Meanwhile, at the state level, the powers enshrined are as follows:-

• Land Title
• Mineral Products
• Customs and Religion
• Agriculture and Forestry
• Local Government
• Local Government

This division of powers aims to clarify the powers that exist in the Central Government and the State Government. It turns out that all matters related to the building of a nation are placed with the Central Government while the State Government handles matters related to the local level. Therefore, all work is guided by these enshrined powers.