Respecting letter and spirit of the Constitution

CONSTITUTIONALISM requires respect for the letter and spirit of the Constitution by citizens as well as the institutions of the state, especially the latter. It is sad to note that in the last few months, constitutionalism and democracy took a battering at the hands of some whose job it is to protect and defend the basic charter.

Dirtiest election: The GE14 result was an exhilarating development for democracy in Malaysia. At the same time, GE14 was the dirtiest of all elections since Merdeka. The Registrar of Societies turned a blind eye towards Umno’s violation of its own Constitution. She refused to register the Pakatan Harapan coalition and deregistered Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.