Understanding the social contract

In the Malaysian context, ‘social contract’ refers to the bargain in a political society between the state and its citizens. Citizens obey the state and its laws while the state in turn protects its citizens and undertakes to perform all its obligations with a sense of trust.

AT THE last Conference of Rulers meeting, the Malay Rulers issued a clarion call to all parties to respect the “social contract” chiselled out by the forefathers of the Constitution.