Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience

The so-called figurehead monarch of Westminster-type constitutions, where the positions of head of state and the head of the government are held by different persons, needs to be appreciated in light of the substantive and discretionary powers exercised by such heads of state in the maintenance of a...

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Main Author:	Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin
Format:	Book Chapter
Language:	English
Published:	IIUM Press 2009
Subjects:	K Law (General)
Online Access:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/1/Constitutional_Role_and_Powers_of_the_Modern_Monarchy_in_Democratic_Government_-_The_Malaysian_Experience.pdf

id	iium-6631
recordtype	eprints
spelling	iium-66312014-11-14T06:09:29Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/ Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin K Law (General) The so-called figurehead monarch of Westminster-type constitutions, where the positions of head of state and the head of the government are held by different persons, needs to be appreciated in light of the substantive and discretionary powers exercised by such heads of state in the maintenance of a just and democratic system of government. In the Malaysian Constitutional framework the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultans are actually a modern one as much as democracy itself is, and an interesting comparison may be made with nations with similar but non-hereditary heads of state. Instances and events referred in the paper illustrate the practical significance of the Malaysian monarchy. Within Malaysian constitutional and social contexts the function of monarchy goes beyond symbolic roles because it have important responsibility and duties to protect and preserve democratic ideals underpinning the philosophy of this nation. As heads of the state the monarchs is constitutionally bound to ensure the governments are functioning within parameters set out in the Constitution and to protect interest of the people regardless of their religion and political affiliation. The Malay rulers, as stated by His Highness Raja Nazrin, must adapt to this changing circumstances. Though the institution is steeped in tradition it must reflect a contemporary outlook. This is admitted by His Highness Raja Nazrin Shah in his speech title The Monarchy in Contemporary Malaysia that 'Changes, when required, have to be addressed and accommodated to suit the temper of times.' The monarchs in Malaysia has proven its resilience by adapting itself to the changing needs and aspirations of the Malaysian society from time to time, and at the same time manage to preserve its traditional role and its tradition. This is an important factor for its success and perseverance. IIUM Press 2009 Book Chapter PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/1/Constitutional_Role_and_Powers_of_the_Modern_Monarchy_in_Democratic_Government_-_The_Malaysian_Experience.pdf Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin (2009) Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience. In: Proceedings of the Seminar on Research Findings 2008. IIUM Press, Kuala Lumpur, pp. 57-61. ISBN 9789833855780 http://rms.research.iium.edu.my/bookstore/Products/115-proceedings-of-the-seminar-on-research-findings-2008.aspx
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	International Islamic University Malaysia
building	IIUM Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
topic	K Law (General)
spellingShingle	K Law (General) Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
description	The so-called figurehead monarch of Westminster-type constitutions, where the positions of head of state and the head of the government are held by different persons, needs to be appreciated in light of the substantive and discretionary powers exercised by such heads of state in the maintenance of a just and democratic system of government. In the Malaysian Constitutional framework the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultans are actually a modern one as much as democracy itself is, and an interesting comparison may be made with nations with similar but non-hereditary heads of state. Instances and events referred in the paper illustrate the practical significance of the Malaysian monarchy. Within Malaysian constitutional and social contexts the function of monarchy goes beyond symbolic roles because it have important responsibility and duties to protect and preserve democratic ideals underpinning the philosophy of this nation. As heads of the state the monarchs is constitutionally bound to ensure the governments are functioning within parameters set out in the Constitution and to protect interest of the people regardless of their religion and political affiliation. The Malay rulers, as stated by His Highness Raja Nazrin, must adapt to this changing circumstances. Though the institution is steeped in tradition it must reflect a contemporary outlook. This is admitted by His Highness Raja Nazrin Shah in his speech title The Monarchy in Contemporary Malaysia that 'Changes, when required, have to be addressed and accommodated to suit the temper of times.' The monarchs in Malaysia has proven its resilience by adapting itself to the changing needs and aspirations of the Malaysian society from time to time, and at the same time manage to preserve its traditional role and its tradition. This is an important factor for its success and perseverance.
format	Book Chapter
author	Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin
author_facet	Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin
author_sort	Mokhtar, Khairil Azmin
title	Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
title_short	Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
title_full	Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
title_fullStr	Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
title_full_unstemmed	Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience
title_sort	constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the malaysian experience
publisher	IIUM Press
publishDate	2009
url	http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/6631/1/Constitutional_Role_and_Powers_of_the_Modern_Monarchy_in_Democratic_Government_-_The_Malaysian_Experience.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T20:15:41Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T20:15:41Z
_version_	1777407771794210816

Constitutional role and powers of the modern monarchy in democratic government: the Malaysian experience

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