Thursday, 18 September 2008 22:29
By BOB TEOH, MySinchew
Thirty three years ago, Australia was faced with a constitutional crisis so serious that the Queen was forced to use her option. Her vice-regal representative, the Governor General, stepped in and sacked the prime minister and appointed another as caretaker. Fresh elections were held one month later in which the caretaker PM and his party won.
Malaysia and Australia have a few things in common. Both are members of the Commonwealth and both are constitutional monarchies and parliamentary democracies. Both are also federated states. But the diffrence is that Australia’s Queen resides in London whereas Malaysia’s King lives with his people right where they are. Another diference is that one is an established democracy while the other is a developing one.