Malaysia’s constitution has, of course, been extensively tinkered with, largely to weaken safeguards, but its essential feature as a system for a constitutional monarchy remains intact. So far.

Constitution continues to contain, among other safeguards, a vital power enabling the Agong to dismiss Parliament and so cause fresh elections to be held.

This power, significantly, is untrammelled by any qualifications and is clearly intended to deal with a situation where government has gone wrong and the party in power is abusing its authority and ignoring the Constitution.

With Malaysia under the control of a wholly corrupt party, UMNO, and at the mercy of a mega criminal Prime Minister, now proven to have stolen billions of dollars of public money the situation is such that the Agong should allow the electors an opportunity to rid themselves of the corrupt and choose a new government.

This, however, he has publicly failed to do.  This opens him to suggestions that he is incapable of doing his duty or unwilling to do so for undisclosed reasons.

So one thing is clear. The Constitution no longer works. If the role of the monarchy is not being enforced why have a monarchy at all? In similar circumstances it is most probable that a President would long since have acted and a change to a presidential type of government may well be overdue. The next Malaysian government will no doubt ponder this question deeply.