Lecture 3 Part 1

What are the three main types of written law in Malaysia?

• Federal Statutes, State Enactments, and Case Law

• Federal Statutes, State Enactments, and Subsidiary Legislation

• Acts, Ordinances, and Enactments

• Principal Acts, Amendment Acts, and Revised Acts

In Malaysia, laws enacted by Parliament are called Acts.

What were laws made between 1 April 1946 and 10 September 1959 called?

• Enactments

• Proclamations

• Ordinances

• Decrees

Which of the following best describes a Principal Act?

• An Act that amends an existing law.

• An Act that covers the law on a specific subject or area.

• An Act that corrects typographical errors in a law.

• An Act that combines several previous Acts into one.

What happens at the pre-parliamentary stage of the legislative process?

• The Bill is debated in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

• The Yang di-Pertuan Agong gives Royal Assent to the Bill.

• The Bill is drafted by the Parliamentary Draftsman and approved by the Cabinet.

• The final Act is published in the Federal Gazette.

What is the majority required in Parliament for a Bill amending the Federal Constitution to be passed?

• A simple voice majority

• A 3/4 majority

• A 2/3 majority

• A 1/2 majority

According to Article 66(4A) of the Federal Constitution, what happens if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not assent to a Bill within 30 days?

• The Bill is returned to Parliament for amendment.

• The Bill is automatically vetoed and cannot become law.

• The Bill becomes law as if assent had been given.

• The Prime Minister can sign the Bill into law.

What are laws passed by the state legislative bodies in Malaysia generally called (with the exception of Sarawak)?

• Acts

• Ordinances

• Subsidiary Legislation

• Enactments

Which of the following is a reason for the existence of subsidiary legislation?

• Parliament lacks the time and technical expertise to legislate on every detail.

• To ensure all laws are debated extensively in public.

• Parliament has too much free time.

• To reduce the power of the executive branch.

What is the purpose of a Revised Act?

• To introduce significant new policies to a Principal Act.

• To make changes to the substance of the law.

• To combine several Acts into a single new Act.

• To correct technical errors without changing the substance of the law.

Under judicial control, on what grounds can a court declare a piece of subsidiary legislation void?

• If the legislation is unpopular with the public.

• If the legislation is inconsistent with an Act of Parliament.

• If the executive branch took too long to draft it.

• If Parliament did not unanimously vote for the parent Act.