Conference of Rulers

The Conference of Rulers (also known as Council of Rulers or Durbar, Malay: Majlis Raja-Raja; Jawi: مجليس راج٢) is a council comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, and the governors of the other four states in Malaysia. It was officially established by Article 38 of the Constitution of Malaysia, and is the only such institution in the world, according to the Malaysian National Library.

Its main responsibility is the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) and Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy King of Malaysia), which occurs every five years or when the positions fall vacant (either through death, resignation, or removal from office). Although its position in the process of elective monarchy is unique, the Conference of Rulers also plays a role in amending the Constitution of Malaysia and some other policies, in particular, those Articles which have been "entrenched", namely those pertaining to the status of the rulers, the special privileges of the indigenous Bumiputra (see Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia), the status of the Malay language as the national language, and the clause governing the entrenchment of such Articles.

History

The Conference of Rulers has its origins in the 1897 Durbar, the Council of Rulers for the Federated Malay States, which were not under the British colonial regime, with the British having an advisory role on only a very few administrative items and the full authority to govern remaining with the rulers of those states. Only the four Federated Malay States of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang were represented at the Durbar, which first convened in 1897. The purpose of the Durbar, as described by Resident-General Frank Swettenham, was to "bring home to the Malays, in the most striking manner possible, the reality of federation".

After World War II, a similar body called the Council of Rulers was constituted under the short-lived Malayan Union. The Council comprised the Governor of the Union, who acted as president, the nine rulers, and the Chief Secretary, Attorney-General and Financial Secretary as ex officio members. The sole functions of the Council were to consider legislation related to Islam (a function carried out by a subcommittee of the Council, comprising only the Muslim members) and to advise the Governor of the Union or the ruler of any state as necessary.