KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian citizens are about to get a democratic booster through a program by the Malaysian Bar Council that aims to raise awareness about the country’s constitution.
The campaign, with the slogan “for the Rakyat by the Rakyat,” aims to educate Malaysians about the federal constitution in simple language. The word rakyat means citizen in Malay.
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia is the legal foundation of the country, experts said at the press conference launching the campaign. With 16 parts and 230 articles, it sets up the country’s democratic system, limits the powers of government, and sets out the rights of citizens.
“We must know and understand what it is to be Malaysian citizens,” said deputy minister in the prime minister’s department, Datuk Liew Vui Keongin, at the opening speech of the launch. “Without the active knowledge and participation of citizens, our constitution is an empty, meaningless and lifeless document,” he said.
The rights of citizens include being able to vote in elections, practice their faith or religion, and express opinions.
“The Bar Council has indeed chosen an opportune time to hold the MyConstitution campaign and launch the first Rakyat Guide,” Liew said.
The first in the series of the nine Rakyat Guide booklets is “What is the Federal Constitution?”
The president of the Malaysian Bar, Mr. Ragunath Kesavan, explained that the point was “to promote constitutional awareness amongst the citizens and to encourage the development of a true constitutional democracy.”
The committee driving the campaign consists of lawyers, academics, students, members of the media, and NGOs, he said.
“The erosion of fundamental constitutional doctrines such as the rule of law and separation of powers has resulted in an unaccountable, centralization of power without a meaningful system of check and balance,” Ragunath said.
