History Behind The Malaysian Monarchy.

History behind the Malaysian monarchy

MALAYSIA practises a government system based on constitutional malaysian monarchy and parliamentary democracy at two levels: federal and state.

At the federal level, the head of state is the King and the head of government is the Prime Minister.

At the state level, the head (ruler) of state is either the Sultan, Raja or Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and the Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the head of state where there are no rulers. Chief Ministers (Mentri Besar/Ketua Mentri) are the heads of government.

Malaysia does not have an absolute monarchy, although it has a King as the head of state.

The office of the King is not hereditary and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can come from any of the nine rulers from the Malay States.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the country’s first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, suggested the rotation system, borrowing the idea from Negri Sembilan, where the chiefs from all nine regions historically took turns to be the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

The power to elect and appoint the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is vested with the Conference of Rulers in accordance with the Federal Constitution and the rules of the Conference of Rulers.

Monarchy System Made in Malaysia

A meeting of the Conference of Rulers held at Istana Negara on Nov 1. - Bernamapic

NO other country in the world other than Malaysia has more than two monarch families ruling at the same time as the head of state. It is also one of the few countries in the world that practise a true elective monarchy system, in which nine members from the Conference of Rulers elect the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The nine members are the hereditary Malay Rulers from the states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan, Perlis, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu. Cambodia where candidates of royal blood are chosen to be king for a life term by its Royal Council of the Throne, and Vatican City where the Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals, are the other true elective monarchies in the world.

The membership of the Conference of Rulers includes the four Yang di-Pertua Negeri or governors but only royal rulers are allowed to vote or stand for election as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In accordance with the Federal Constitution and the rules of the Conference of Rulers, the power to appoint the King is vested with the Conference of Rulers. This is done to protect the prestige of the Malay rulers. The position is elected through a secret ballot by fellow monarchs.

The first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, had suggested the rotation system, under which the nine rulers would take turns to serve for five years as King, and would be called Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or Supreme Ruler.

The rotation system was an idea borrowed from Negri Sembilan, where chiefs from the state's nine regions took turns to be the Yang di-Pertuan Besar. During the election process, the nominee must have obtained a majority of five votes before the ruler presiding over the Election Meeting offers him the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On taking office, the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong will appoint a regent for the duration of his five-year term over the state which he rules. A deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong is also elected at the same time and charged with holding office whenever the King is away or unable to rule.

According to the system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the formal head of the executive branch. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong plays a vital role in the judiciary system by appointing the Chief Justice of the Federal Court, President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of Malaya, the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, judges of the Federal Court, the judges of the Court of Appeal and the judges of the High Courts on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Under Article 3 of the Federal Constitu-tion, the King is the Head of Islamic Affairs in Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, which have a Yang di-Pertua Negeri. The current King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin from Terengganu, is the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong since the country's Independence, and began his reign on Dec 13, 2006.

Source : The Star Online

New Malaysia National Palace Marks History

Majestic and spanking new, Istana Negara on Jalan Duta will be the venue for the swearing-in ceremony. Members of the Royal Malay Regiment First Battalion hoisted the personal flag of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Nov 15. – Bernamapic

THE majestic new Istana Negara on Jalan Duta will today bear witness to the swearing-in of the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The ceremony, which is steeped in the tradition of the Malay custom, will be held for the first time at the new palace. As the official residence of the country's Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong, the palace, which sits on a sprawling 97.65ha plot of land in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is built in rich Islamic and traditional Malay architectural style.

The 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who completes his term today, is the first monarch to occupy the new Istana that was officially opened on Nov 11.Among others, the palace has two large domes, which are adorned with light bulbs designed in the outline of an overlapping betel leaf that will illuminate the night with different colours. The colour of the lights will be according to the type of formal events held that day.

A 40m-high dome above the main lobby in the palace is hung with the largest chandelier made in Malaysia.Eight large paintings, depicting the history of the country from the Malacca Sultanate to the current era, decorate the giant pillars supporting the main dome.Every room and hall in the Istana is specially designed to accommodate specific functions.The palace complex, which boasts a total of 22 domes, is divided into formal, royal and administrative wings.

The formal wing houses, among others, the balairong seri, where the swearing-in of the King takes place, the audience and banquet halls.The royal wing, comprising bedrooms and other facilities, are designed for use by the Agong, his Queen and other members of the royal family.

The palace also comes equipped with a surau to accommodate 1,000 people, a swimming pool, a security office, a visitors' square, an underground carpark, a treatment room, a multi-purpose hall, a sports field, a helipad, and a horse stable.It will also have lifts and escalators.

The Istana is accessible via three gates the Duta Gate for the royalty, the Jalan Changkat Semantan Gate for guests and the Jalan Sri Hartamas Gate for the rakyat and for invited to events.