Abiding by the Constitution

Rule of law must prevail at all costs

All peace loving and law abiding Malaysians will welcome The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah’s call to young Malaysians to protect the integrity of the Federal Constitution. He rightly pointed that The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and abiding by it is every citizen’s way of promoting national unity.

The Federal Constitution is the highest law of the land and all other laws should are constituted based on its provisions and therefore should not supercede it for whatever reason. Everyone regardless of his race, creed or social status should respect and abide by the provisions of this supreme law of the land. If any group is allowed to go against these provisions there is real danger of the nation falling into a state of lawlessness that will only lead to chaos.

The judiciary has a pivotal role that the provisions of this supreme law are applied to all. It must ensure that the trust placed in it to mete our justice for all citizens, without fear or favour, should at all times be guided by the provisions of the Federal Constitution and not personal emotions and convictions.

We share the serious concerns of Raja Nazrin that ethnic and religious identities appear to have become more explicit in recent years and that Malaysians were sadly showing signs of polarisation along these lines. There has been over emphasis on our differences rather than our commonness. I am afraid this unhealthy trend is causing suspicion and even hatred for those from other communities, despite all being Malaysians.

There is a need to create awareness of our rights enshrined in the Constitution and these rights must be respected by all groups. Parents and teachers have particularly pivotal roles in instilling this love and respect for the Constitution and the rule of law in our young children.It would be of great help if study of the constitution is included in the school curriculum.

We must put aside our differences to come together to resist the rule by fanaticism and emotion that are threatening to destroy the peace and harmony that we have nurtured and cherished all these years. All of us, regardless of race or creed, have an important duty to steer the nation in the direction of moderation and tolerance.To do this we must look at the many common factors that bind us as Malaysians rather than allowing the few existing differences to divide us.

If we want to show patriotism to the nation, the is no better way to do that than abiding by the provisions of the Constitution and actively participating in endeavors to rid the nation of racism, in whatever form it may take. The rule of law is supreme and must prevail and safeguarded at all times and at all costs. It is the only way to preserve lasting peace and harmony.

Dr.Chris Anthony


Comments

Not only citizens but everyone else in Government/NGO etc ... EVERYONE.If people abuse their authority power etc. then it is useless. There are too many things and screw-ups in this country that are making the citizens lose hope.

By lbkooi, 7-Aug-2007


The Federal Constitution is the foundation of Malaysia. Since we do not have our founding fathers to tell us what are the true intentions enshrined in the provisions of the Constitution, we need the judiciary to interpret it for us.The judiciary and executive (government) branches are supposed to be independent on each other. However, we can see that this is not actually so since judges are appointed and can be dismissed by the Government.Perhaps it is time that Malaysia adopt the appointment of judges for life, like in the United States. This means that judges can be truly impartial to say their minds and need not fear of being dismissed by the Government. Appointments of judges will be by a select body, comprising of the Bar Council and others, and not solely decided by the Government. Judges can be impeached if clearly shown to go against or break certain rules.

By sleekk, 7-Aug-2007


We hear lots of talk about which education system is better. Here is a good opportunity for the Government to do something. Introduce a new subject, call it whatever you want - Law and Society to secondary school. This subject should incorporate the meaning of the rule of law, legal structure, parliament and state's, how laws are made, the court system, the big piece of paper called C, other legislations such as crime act, income tax and others. I am not talking about what they teach in University but to expose students to the country's legal system.If the students are interested to know more, they can find out themselves. Education is about "leading out", leading the young mind to the world of education and not "I lead and you follow".

By campuras, 7-Aug-2007


campuras: People upholding the law should and must be a great role model first ... get what I mean?

By lbkooi, 7-Aug-2007


All the above comments are very well made. However, one forgets that the Malaysian constitution is actually written in English!!! I bet a lot of our youths won't be able to properly read and understand what it says.

By ahvincent, 8-Aug-2007