Conference of Rulers
Conference of Rulers Majlis Raja-Raja مجليس راج٢ | |
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Federal Constitution of Malaysia |
This article is part of a series on the |
Politics of Malaysia |
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The Conference of Rulers (also Council of Rulers or Durbar,
Its main responsibility is the election of the
History
The Conference of Rulers has its origins in the 1897 Durbar, the Council of Rulers for the Federated Malay States, which were not under the British colonial regime, with the British playing the advisory role on only a very few administrative items and the full authority to govern remaining with the Sultan of those states. Only the four Federated Malay States of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang were represented at the Durbar, which first convened in 1897. The purpose of the Durbar, as described by Resident-General Frank Swettenham, was to "bring home to the Malays, in the most striking manner possible, the reality of federation".[1]
After World War II, a similar body called the Council of Sultans was constituted under the short-lived
The first Conference of Rulers was convened on 31 August 1948, the year the British established the semi-autonomous Federation of Malaya, where it was attended by the rulers of all nine Malay states. The Conference of Rulers continued after independence, when it was formally established under the Constitution.
Membership
The membership of the Conference depends on the succession of the Malay sultans, and the appointment of the governors. The
Only the rulers of the
Should a member of the Conference be unable to attend a meeting, their state must designate a temporary replacement; this process is set out by each state's own constitution, and therefore varies. Once elected, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong delegates their state representation in the Conference to the Regent they have selected to rule in their stead in their home state. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong still attends the meetings of the Conference, though they do so intermittently, usually only when the Conference would be discussing national policy or electing a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
When attending Conference meetings, each ruler and governor is accompanied by the
Every meeting of the Conference is chaired by one of the nine Malay rulers, who is appointed rotationally.
Roles and procedure
The National Library has called the Conference of Rulers "the supreme institution in the country", which would mean even Parliament is subordinate to it. However, its role is de facto largely symbolic, as even the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong generally follows a fixed order based on the seniority of the Malay rulers at the time of independence in 1957.
In policy-making, if the Conference of Rulers is involved, the
Amending the Constitution
The Conference's role in amending the Constitution was first set out by the Constitution (Amendment) Act 1971, one of the first pieces of legislation passed by Parliament after the catastrophic
The Act named Article 152,
The provisions covered were (respectively) those relating to Malay as the national language, the special privileges and rights of the Malays and other indigenous peoples (Bumiputra, constituting more than half the Malaysian population), the status of the Malay rulers, and the provisions for Malaysian citizenship. These restrictions applied to all Malaysians, including members of parliament, over-ruling their parliamentary immunity. In addition, Article 159(5), which governed amendments to the Constitution, was also amended to require the provisions of the Constitution relating to the "sensitive issues" mentioned earlier be amended only with the consent of the Conference of Rulers. This regulation would also apply to Article 159(5).[4]
These changes met with strong opposition from the
Others, such as coalition government passed the constitutional amendments in Parliament without the opposition votes because of its two-thirds Parliamentary majority.
Meetings
The Conference of Rulers generally meets triannually, or three a times a year. Should the
The Conference generally meets at the
Each Malay ruler generally takes turns chairing each meeting. The agenda is generally outlined and made known to the Rulers prior to the meeting. During the meeting, none of the Malay Rulers take precedence above another and all are considered equal. Even the
The Secretary of the Conference is the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal.
Scholarship
History
The Royal Scholarship Fund (Malay: Kumpulan Wang Biasiswa Raja-Raja) was established on 31 August 1949 by the 8th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers. In accordance with that, a rule has been made and named the Regulations of the Royal Scholarship Funds. The Trustee Meeting of the Royal Scholarship Fund was changed to the Royal Scholarship Fund and Governors (Malay: Kumpulan Wang Biasiswa Raja-Raja dan Gabenor-Gabenor).
On 12 May 1983, an Act of Act 284 was gazetted and named the Higher Education Scholarship Fund of the Yang di-Pertuan Negeri of the States (Malay: Kumpulan Wang Biasiswa Pengajian Tinggi Raja-Raja dan Yang di-Pertua Yang di-Pertuan Negeri). Its control and management are placed under the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal who ais also secretary of the Fund's Board.
The Board of this Fund in accordance with section 5 (1) of Act 284 consists of a Chairman and four members appointed by the Conference of Rules between the Menteri Besar and the Chief Minister for a period of two years and eligible for a reappointment. The Chairman shall chair all Board Meetings and meet at least three times a year and at any meeting of the Board, the Chairman and two members shall be quorum. The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the secretary of the Board.
For the year of 2019, The Board of this Fund consists of :
1 | YAB Premier Sarawak | Chairman |
2 | YAB Menteri Besar Perak | Member |
3 | YAB Menteri Besar Kedah | Member |
4 | YAB Menteri Besar Johor | Member |
5 | YAB Ketua Menteri Sabah | Member |
The main function of the establishment of the Board of Fund is to provide scholarships, financial assistance and other assistance to students who are studying at Public Higher Education Institutions to take on the First Degree only. The number of students who have been offered scholarships are limited to the fund capacity of the time This scholarship is offered to students who have excellent results in the
Conference of Rulers Scholarship
The scholarship has been introduced since the year of 1967 initially to three students and the value of scholarship is according to the rate of Public Service Department's scholarship with an extra of 200 Ringgit Malaysia for each student. The total of students being offered the scholarship from 1967 till 2013 is 415 students.[8]
Royal Education Award
The 145th Conference of the Rulers (2nd Day) on 6 November 1988, agreed to create a Royal Education Award (Malay: Anugerah Pelajaran DiRaja), also called Pingat Jaya Cemerlang. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards for any graduate or scholar achievable in Malaysia. The purpose of the award is to give the highest recognition and be awarded to a graduate whose quality and academic achievement are the best and meet the following criteria:
- Significant development and contribution to country's progress and development
- High intellectual prowess
- Overall exam results;
- Co-curriculum activities;
- Other prizes obtained;
- Certificate and report from the relevant Dean of the Faculty;
- Good behavior
The Pingat Jaya Cemerlang was first introduced in 1989 for seven Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) of two graduates for every IPTA comprising a Bumiputera and a non-Bumiputera recipient of the award is eligible to receive:
- A gold medal worth RM 1,000;
- Cash for the amount RM 1,000; and
- Certificate
The cash payment rate has been raised to RM 2,500 per person from 1995 and RM 5,000 per person from 2009. In 2018, the prize was raised to RM7,000.00. A total of 19 IPTAs and two graduates for each IPTA have received this award. A total of 567 graduates received this award.[9]
As of 2016, there are less than 600 recipients of award,
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship
In 2006, the Public Service Department (PSD) implemented a new programme called the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship (Malay: Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong) or the King Scholarship, following the decision of the Prime Minister on 3 November 2004, which was approved by the Conference of Rulers meeting on 16 March 2005.[citation needed]
This scholarship is introduced to recognize the exceptional skills of candidates wishing to pursue their postgraduate studies (Master's and PhD), particularly in the field of science and technology, either locally or abroad.[citation needed]
The inaugural award presentation ceremony of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship to five candidates for the Master's and Doctoral programmes respectively was held on 29 September 2006. It was officiated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the National Palace. The recipients were also introduced to the Sultans, The Yang di-Pertuan Negeri and the Prime Minister in a special ceremony prior to the banquet in honour of the Conference of Rulers meeting at the National Palace.[12]
See also
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong
- Regalia of Malaysia
- Monarchies of Malaysia
References
- ^ Malaysia: Selected Historical Readings, John Sturgus Bastin, KTO Press, 1979, page 254
- ^ a b Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Keat Gin Ooi, ABC-CLIO, 2004, page 838
- ^ Tan, Yeo and Lee's constitutional law in Malaysia and Singapore, Kevin Tan, Tiong Min Yeo, Li-ann Thio, Kiat Seng Lee Butterworths Asia, 1997, pages 51 and 401
- ^ ISBN 967-65-3094-8.
- ^ Wu & Hickling, p. 73.
- ^ Emery, Fred (8 November 1969). "Malaysia unity call against a background of fear", p. 7. The Times.
- ^ "Sejarah Biasiswa Raja-Raja". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Biasiswa Majlis Raja-Raja". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Pingat Jaya Cemerlang". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Conference of Rulers". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Over 2,000 'Datuk', 'Datuk Seri', 'Tan Sri' and 'Tuns' at federal level". New Straits Times Malaysia. December 2015.
- ^ "Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong".
Other references
- Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (2003). "Role Of The Conference Of Rulers In Constitutional Monarchy System In Malaysia". Retrieved 25 August 2006.