Understanding the Federal Constitution: Key Insights

In the midst of current political fervor, it is imperative for all of us to delve into the Federal Constitution to grasp many issues regarding the formation of our Government and State. If we expect the Cabinet and Members of Parliament to adhere to the Federal Constitution, we must equip ourselves with constitutional knowledge to understand their boundaries and the limits they should abide by.

Did You Know?

1. The Federal Constitution does not contain terms like “Chinese” and “Indian”.
2. There is no mention of an official religion in the Constitution; Islam is the religion of the Federation.
3. While there’s no mention of “Bahasa Malaysia,” only “Bahasa Melayu” is recognized.
4. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) has the power to appoint the Prime Minister, but there’s no provision for the YDPA to dismiss the PM.
5. Only Islamic religious schools are recognized in the Constitution, not vernacular schools.
6. The Public Service Commission has no legal authority over the Armed Forces Commission.
7. Only the Armed Forces Commission has representatives of the Malay Rulers on its board.
8. Despite Article 40 stating that the YDPA shall act on advice, there are instances where the YDPA has absolute discretionary powers without needing advice.
9. Despite Malaysia being a democratic country, the Constitution recognizes the special privileges of the Malays and restricts the Malay Regiment solely to Malays. Additionally, the YDPA, as the Head of State, is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
10. The sovereignty, prerogatives, powers, and jurisdiction of the Malay Rulers and the prerogatives, powers, and jurisdiction of the State Rulers of Negeri Sembilan cannot be challenged or affected.
11. Any pension laws granted to any public servants or their dependents cannot be revoked or amended to their detriment.
12. In the event of a security, economic, or public order emergency, the YDPA can proclaim a state of emergency and issue necessary ordinances. The satisfaction of the YDPA is final and conclusive, not subject to challenge, and the courts have no jurisdiction to entertain or decide any application, question, or proceeding in relation to any proclamation/declaration made by the YDPA.

Educating Our Society

It’s crucial to educate the public about constitutional knowledge to prevent manipulation by politicians for their personal agendas. Similarly, for Islam, all Muslim citizens should understand the Quran and authentic Hadiths before blindly following specific ideologies.

Let’s start reading every page of the Federal Constitution, understanding the meanings, and grasping the essence of the Quran and authentic Hadiths before becoming blindly loyal to political leaders who may have their own agendas that could potentially harm our nation.

Based on contributions by

Mejar Hj Mior Rosli bin Dato Hj Mior Mohd Jaafar TUDM (Retired), J.S.D., Dip Public Administration, Dip Political Science, Master of Human Development, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Law.
PRESIDENT PSPRM