A storm is brewing in the Southern State of Johor. There are reports suggesting that the palace is unhappy with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM)’s choice of Chief Minister. Tun Mahathir, who is head of PPBM, is not pulling any punches. What is the role of the monarchy in the appointment of Chief Minister? Do…
Category: Chief Minister
Replacing and Appointing the Johor MB: A Constitutional Monarch’s Role
This article first appeared at The Malay Mail on 10 Apr 2019. 1. Can the Sultan decree (“menitahkan”) for the MB to be replaced/resign? First and foremost, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy. It is not an absolute monarchy. As a general rule, at the state level, all acts of the Sultan must be done in…
The Perlis MB Constitutional Crisis: Five Possible Future Scenarios
This article first appeared at The Malay Mail on 24 May 2018. A storm in a teacup is brewing in the tiny state of Perlis. Two weeks after GE14 on May 9, 2018, Perlis remains the only state which has not sworn in its mentri besar. BN won 10 out of the 15 state seats,…
Shafie Apdal’s Appointment as Sabah CM is Constitutional
This article first appeared at The Malay Mail on 13 May 2018. It has been three days since a momentous GE14, yet the storm in the land below the wind has yet to reside. In the 60 member assembly, Sabah BN won 29 seats while Warisan and Pakatan Harapan combined also won 29 seats. The…