Constitution of Malaysia
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The Constitution of Malaysia, comprising more than 180 articles, is the supreme law of Malaysia.
Contents |
History
The Constitution was drafted based on the advice of the Reid Commission which conducted a study in 1956. The Constitution came into force upon independence on August 31, 1957.
Amendments
To amend the Constitution, a 2/3rds majority agreeing to the amendment is required in both houses of Parliament. According to constitutional scholar Shad Saleem Faruqi, the Constitution has been amended 42 times over the 48 years since independence as of 2005. However, as several amendments were made each time, he estimates the true number of individual amendments is around 650. When asked if "the spirit of the original document has been diluted", he replied that "there is no doubt about it."
Organisation
The Constitution is divided into 13 parts, each part containing one or more relevant articles.
- Part 1 - The states, religion and law of the federation
- Part 2 - Fundamental liberties
Notable articles
Article 153
Template:Main Article 153 of the Constitution grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or King of Malaysia, responsibility for safeguarding the rights and privileges of the Malay and other indigenous peoples of Malaysia, collectively referred to as Bumiputra. The article specifies how the federal government may protect the interest of these groups by establishing quotas for entry into the civil service, public scholarships and public education. It is often considered to be part of the social contract.
Article 160
Template:Main Article 160 defines various terms used in the Constitution. It has an important impact on Islam in Malaysia and the Malay people due to its definition of a Malay person under clause 2.
See also
- History of Malaysia
- Politics of Malaysia
- Malaysian General Election
- Status of religious freedom in Malaysia
References
- Ahmad, Zainon & Phang, Llew-Ann (Oct. 1, 2005). The all-powerful executive. The Sun.