Constitution

Malaysia 1957 Constitution (reviewed 2007)

Table of Contents

PART I THE STATES, RELIGION AND LAW OF THE FEDERATION

1. Name, States and territories of the Federation

  1. The Federation shall be known, in Malay and in English, by the name Malaysia.
  2. The States of the Federation shall be Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri, Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu.
  3. Subject to Clause (4), the territories of each of the States mentioned in Clause (2) are the territories comprised therein immediately before Malaysia Day.
  4. The territory of the State of Selangor shall exclude the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur established under the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1973 [Act A206] and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya established under the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2001 [Act A1095] and the territory of the State of Sabah shall exclude the Federal Territory of Labuan established under the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1984 [Act A585], and all such Federal Territories shall be territories of the Federation.

2. Admission of new territories into the Federation

Parliament may by law-

  1. admit other States to the Federation;
  2. alter the boundaries of any State,

but a law altering the boundaries of a State shall not be passed without the consent of that State (expressed by a law made by the Legislature of that State) and of the Conference of Rulers.

3. Religion of the Federation

  1. Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.
  2. In every State other than States not having a Ruler the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution of that State, and, subject to that Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; but in any acts, observances of ceremonies with respect to which the Conference of Rulers has agreed that they should extend to the Federation as a whole each of the other Rulers shall in his capacity of Head of the religion of Islam authorise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to represent him.
  3. The Constitution of the States of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak shall each make provision for conferring on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the position of Head of the religion of Islam in that State.
  4. Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution.
  5. Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Head of the religion of Islam in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya; and for this purpose Parliament may by law make provisions for regulating Islamic religious affairs and for constituting a Council to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in matters relating to the religion of Islam.

4. Supreme law of the Federation

  1. This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.
  2. The validity of any law shall not be questioned on the ground that-
    1. it imposes restrictions on the right mentioned in Article 9 (2) but does not relate to the matters mentioned therein; or
    2. it imposes such restrictions as are mentioned in Article 10 (2) but those restrictions were not deemed necessary or expedient by Parliament for the purposes mentioned in that Article.
  3. The validity of any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of any State shall not be questioned on the ground that it makes provision with respect to any matter with respect to which Parliament or, as the case may be, the Legislature of the State has no power to make laws, except in proceedings for a declaration that the law is invalid on that ground or-
    1. if the law was made by Parliament, in proceedings between the Federation and one or more States;
    2. if the law was made by the Legislature of a State, in proceedings between the Federation and that State.
  4. Proceedings for a declaration that a law is invalid on the ground mentioned in Clause(3) (not being proceedings falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause) shall not be commenced without the leave of a judge of the Federal Court; and the Federation shall be entitled to be a party to any such proceedings, and so shall any State that would or might be a party to proceedings brought for the same purpose under paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause.
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