In traditional terms, based on the original social contract of 1957, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.

That meant we had a constitutional monarch and we were a Westminster-type democracy.

The role of the monarch was defined by the federal constitution, and which even originally included the doctrine of ‘the king can do no wrong!' But since then, two sets of amendments have changed that and thereby anthropomorphized the role of the rulers in our constitution.

They now can do "wrong" under the normal civil and criminal laws of the nation, and when they are not performing a role assigned by the state. However, they now have a special court to try them.