The Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (commonly referred to as the Backbenchers Club, BNBBC or BBC; ) is a loose caucus

Caucus

A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...

 of 108 members of the lower house of the Parliament

Parliament of Malaysia

The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....

 of Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat

Dewan Rakyat

The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...

, belonging to the governing Barisan Nasional

Barisan Nasional

Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...

 coalition

Coalition

A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...

. The term "backbencher

Backbencher

In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...

" originates from the British Parliament, denoting a Member of Parliament (MP) who is not a member of the Cabinet

Cabinet of Malaysia

The Cabinet of Malaysia is the executive branch of Malaysia's government. Led by the Prime Minister, the cabinet is a council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament. According to the Article 43 of the Constitution, members of the Cabinet can only be selected from members...

 or is otherwise part of the government through the holding of a post such as Parliamentary Secretary

Parliamentary Secretary

A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...

.

Originally the BNBBC was not prominent in Parliamentary affairs. However, in 2005, it drew attention when its then Chairman, Shahrir Abdul Samad

Shahrir Abdul Samad

Datuk Seri Utama Shahrir Abdul Samad is the former Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, a member of Parliament, and the former chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club . He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation, the largest political party in the...

, publicly called for the restoration of the Parliamentary Services Act

Parliamentary Services Act

The Parliamentary Services Act 1963 is an act providing for the Parliament of Malaysia to conduct its own administration, staffing and financing...

 (PSA) so Parliament could be self-sufficient in conducting its own affairs. The backbenchers supported Shahrir, but little was heard further on after the matter blew over. Then in 2006, Shahrir quit as the BNBBC Chair after not receiving support from the backbenchers in voting for a motion brought by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP

Democratic Action Party

The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...

-Ipoh Timur). Deputy Chairman Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar was appointed the Acting Chair.

After 2008 Elections

Bintulu

Bintulu

Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....

 MP Tiong King Sing

Tiong King Sing

Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Bintulu constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition....

 of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, or SPDP is a Sarawak based political party in Malaysia founded in 2002...

 was appointed chairman of the BNBBC. Bung Mokthar Radin, MP of Kinabatangan

Kinabatangan

Kinabatangan is a district located in Sandakan Division, in the east of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 86,783 in 2000. Kinabatangan is mostly populated with Sungei Race, one of the Indigenous Group in Sabah...

was appointed deputy chairman.