Legal Pluralism in Malaysia

8/18/2019 Legal Pluralism in Malaysia

1/6

HOW FAR CAN YOU APPLY LEGAL PLURALISM IN MALAYSIA

Defnition

Legal pluralism is the existe!e "# multiple legal s$stems %ithi "e ge"graphi!

area that& i Mala$sia&

"!!ur %he '

• the la% "# the (ritish !"l"ial auth"rit$ exists al"gsi)e m"re tra)iti"al Mala$

*a)at&+ Islami! a)

!ust"mar$ legal s$stems,

• )i-eret la%s g".er )i-eret gr"ups& i,e, Islami! La%s #"r Muslim !")u!t a)

C"mm" La% #"r

N"/Muslim !")u!t,

• the !ust"mar$ legal s$stems "# the i)ige"us p"pulati" "# Sa0ah a) Sara%a1

ha.e 0ee gi.e

s"me re!"giti",

Historical Development

I the earl$ peri") "# the Mala!!a empire& the 2usti!e s$stem %as 0ase) " the

a!iet Mala$ !ust"ms "r

a)at& geerate) #r"m the A)at 3emeggug / a 0")$ "# matriar!hal !ust"mar$ la%s

0elie.e) t" ha.e

"rigiate) #r"m Miag1a0au i Sumatra a) later i4ue!e) 0$ Hi)u la%s t"

0e!"me patriar!hal ' that

%as a)miistere) 0$ the rulers a) their "5!ials,

With the re!epti" "# Islam 0$ the Mala!!a rulers& the 2usti!e s$stem "# the Mala$

Empire i Mala!!a&

primaril$ !"sistig "# the Hu1um 6au Mela1a 7*La%s "# Mala!!a+8 a) the

U)ag/u)ag Laut

Mela1a 7*La%s "# the Sea "# Mala!!a+8 %ithi the A)at 3emeggug& assimilate)

pri!iples "# Islami!

la%,


2/6

Elemets "# a)at )eeme) t" 0e i !"4i!t %ith religi"us re9uiremets a) pra!ti!es

%ere gra)uall$

a0a)"e), 3he Mala!!a la% i4ue!e) the !")i:!ati" "# Islami! la% i the "ther

States i the Mala$

Peisula,

Earl$ P"rtuguese 7;?8 a) @ut!h 7;=>?/;?>8 !"l"ial p"%ers ha) p"li!ies

"# miimal

iter#ere!e %ith the l"!al !ust"ms a) pra!ti!es, 3he (ritish 7;?>/;B


3/6

pre!e)et p"siti", With Mala$siaDs p"st i)epe)et )e.el"pmet& Eglish

pre!e)ets are 0e!"mig alie t" Mala$sias, 3his is espe!iall$ true i re#ere!es

t" Eglish la% that has t" 0e ma)e i Mala$sia statutes& 0ut %he the s"!i"/

p"liti!al situati" i 0"th pla!es ta1e )i-eret turs& ame)mets t" the la% i "e

pla!e is " m"re appli!a0le t" the "ther pla!e, 3here is there#"re a u)eia0le

ee) #"r Mala$sia la% t" ta1e its "% path, (ut must this path 0e still hea.il$leae) t"%ar)s the !"mm" la% s$stem that %as imp"se) " Mala$sias "l$ i the

re!et past& "r )" %e expl"re the pre/!"l"ial legal s$stem that %ere part "# "ur

s"!i"/p"liti!"/e!""mi! e.ir"met

Ma$ reas"s p"it i this )ire!ti"& s"me "# %hi!h are '

• It is a u)ispute) #a!t that the !"mm" la% s$stem is litigati"us& !"#r"tati"al

a) pr"!e)ural, I

the pr"!ess "# implemetig 2usti!e& gr"ss i2usti!e ma$ 0e istitute)& espe!iall$ #"r

th"se %h" )" "t ha.e the meas t" %a)e thr"ugh the legalities a) pr"!e)ures i

a !"#r"tati"al a) litigati"us

maer, E.i)e!e is "t truth 0ut pr""#,

• 3he legal pr"!e)ures themsel.es !ause extesi.e )ela$s a) mis!arriage "#

2usti!e,

• Mala$sias are "t a !"#r"tati"al pe"ple, ASEAN is the "l$ regi"al gr"upig

that pla!es

)etermiat rules " !"sesual )e!isi"s, Wh$ )" %e ee) a !"#r"tati"al legal

s$stem #r"m a

!"#r"tati"al a) aggressi.e pe"ple

• Whe a 2u)ge is #"r!e) t" e.i!t a i)ige"us #amil$ "!!up$ig tra)iti"al la)

ear m")eriati"&

0e!ause the la) title sa$s "ther%ise& "r )e$ !itieship t" the !hil) "# a p""r

#armer 0e!ause the

#armer )i) "t 1"% that the !hil) has t" 0e registere) at 0irth& the the legal

stru!ture is sha1e& a)

2u)ges a!t agaist their !"s!ie!e a) 0etter 2u)gmet,

• 3he !"mm"er is "t 9uali:e) t" represet himsel# i !"urt& re9uirig t" hire

legal expertise that %ill

!"st him& a) a0a)" him %he his res"ur!es ru "ut& "r 0etra$ him %he the

"ther part$ is a0le t"


4/6

"-er a).atages,

Whe #a!e) %ith these !halleges& the "l$ re!"urse #"r the !"mm"er is t" $ear

#"r the la%s "# his

#"re#athers& %here it %as !heaper& "/!"#r"tati"al& trasparet a) 2ust i the

e$es "# the !"mmuit$

a) "t the 2u)ge, A) these la%s %ere )ispese) thr"ugh the '

• S$ariah C"urts %ith !i.il a) !rimial 2uris)i!ti",

• 3he Peghulus !"urt 7!"urt "# the .illage hea)/ma8

• Nati.e C"urts i Sa0ah a) Sara%a1,

H"% Far Ha.e We G"e With Legal Pluralism

“I spite "# the rampat pluralism& S"uth East Asia %"r1s 0etter tha ma$ "therregi"s "# the %"rl), A .er$ sigi:!at reas" #"r this is the !ultural t"lerati" %hi!h

has all"%e) alm"st e.er$ %"rl).ie% t" 0e a!!"mm")ate) i the S"uth East Asia

ps$!he, 3" a great extet this t"lerati" has exte)e) it" the legal %"rl) 2ust as a

street i Mala!!a h"uses a (u))hist temple& a Hi)u 3emple& a m"s9ue a) a

Cath"li! !hur!h& s" the Mala$sia legal s$stem !aters .er$ a)e9uatel$& i a %a$

%hi!h Eur"pea legal s$stems !learl$ )" "t& #"r se.eral .arieties "# la%& e.e

pr".i)ig Spe!ial C"urts i Sa0ah a) Sara%a1 t" a)miister ati.eD la% t" the

i)ige"us p"pulati",+ 7A, Har)ig& La%& G".ermet a) the

C"stituti" i Mala$sia& ?;=,8

Mala$sia is a !"stituti"al state that #"rmall$ e)"rses the pri!iples "# a

)em"!rati! !"stituti"al state& amel$ )em"!ra!$& !he!1s a) 0ala!es& rights

a) li0erties a) the rule "# la%, 3h"ugh usig the (ritish Westmister m")el "#

parliametar$ )em"!ra!$& Mala$sia ta1es it" a!!"ut the existe!e "# !"lle!ti.e

i)etities i the Mala$sia s"!iet$, (esi)es a 0ill "# rights& !"taiig a

eumerati" "# the !lassi!al i)i.i)ual rights a) li0erties 7%ith !a.eats8& the

Mala$sia !"stituti" als" a!!epts gr"up/spe!i:! rights a) #"resees the p"ssi0ilit$

#"r p"siti.e a!ti" p"li!ies, 3he Mala$sia !"stituti" istituti"alie) the p"li!ies

"# multi!ulturalism 0$ a)"ptig !"mmualismD& "r a !"mmuitaria/li0eralD

)em"!ra!$J amel$ a li0eral )em"!ra!$ %ith a !"mmuitaria eth"sD 7S, Fet"&

Mala$sia a) Capitalist M")erisati"J Plural a) Multi!ultural M")elsD& IKMS& ?&

pg;


5/6

Islami! )epartmets& #u!ti"s a) "5!ials& a) higher all"!ati"s #"r pla!es "#

%"rship& 0urial a) religi"us e)u!ati" !"mpare) t" the "ther religi"s& Mala$sia is

"t a the"!rati! stateJ it !a 0e 0est !hara!terie) as a iterme)iate h$0ri) al"g

the se!ular/the"!rati! !"tiuumD 7Li/A 3hi" a) Ka!l$

Lig/Chie Ne"& l,!,& =8,

Legal pluralism is parti!ularl$ %ell a).a!e) i #amil$ la%& %ith the existe!e "#

three s$stems "# #amil$ la% 7a) i limite) sese als" peal a) la) la%8& %hi!h

are re!"gie) 0$ the !"stituti"J "e #"r "Muslims& "e #"r Muslims a) "e #"r

ati.es i Sa0ah a) Sara%a1, 3here are geerall$ "t ma$ issues %ith the

appli!ati" "# !ust"mar$ la%s, 3heir appli!ati" is l"!alie) t" a pe"ple %h" !h""se

t" a0i)e 0$ them a) apparetl$ there seems t" 0e a high le.el "# 2usti!e a)

a!!epta!e "# these la%s 0$ the parties !"!ere), With regar) t" the

implemetati" "# ati" %i)e Islami! #amil$ la%s that %ill ee) t" !"/exist %ith

!i.il la%& Mala$sia has 0ee !are#ul t" )ra#t them, I Mala$sia& Islami! la% is su02e!t

t" the suprema!$ "# the !"stituti" a) the #e)eral la%, 3he Mala$sia examplesh"%s that the !"tet "# Islami! la% !a 0e .er$ !"textual a) !a e."l.e i a

)ire!ti" %hi!h meets the pre.ailig Eglish legal tra)iti", It is a iterestig

example "# h$0ri)iig& trasp"siti"& ui"& mixig a) a0s"rpti",

Mu!h "# the pr"gressi.e re#"rms "# the Islami! #amil$ la% are m".ig i a similar

)ire!ti" as their

se!ular e9ui.alets 7a) %here it is !learl$ "t p"ssi0le& as i the !ase "# p"l$gam$&

!")iti"s "#

p"l$gam$& uusual t" "ther Islami! !"utries& are stipulate)8, 3hese pr"gressi.e use

"# Islami! la%

emerge) i a t"p/)"% %a$& legitimie) 0$ the use "# Islami! legal meth")s&

espe!iall$ i2tiha) 7#ree

iterpretati" "r pragmati! iterpretati" "# Islami! texts8& ta1ha$$ur 7#ree sele!ti"

0et%ee rules a)

"pii"s "# )i-eret Islami! s!h""ls "# la%8 a) tal:9 7the !"m0iig "# p"its "#

.ie% "# )i-eret

s!h""ls "# la% a) la%$ers i a sigle legal rule8, 3he )ire!ti" ta1e !a 0eu)erst"") i the light "# the

i)etit$ "# the re#"rmers 7%h" represete) 0"th the !"mm" la% a) the Islami!

la% tra)iti"8& the #"r!e

"# the parallel se!ular legal s$stem& the aim "# the re#"rmers t" !reate a autheti!

!"mpara0le legal


6/6

s$stem a) the "pp"rtuit$ t" 0"rr"% #r"m a .ariet$ "# supp"se)l$ legitimate

s"ur!es "# rules a)

istituti"s,7@,L, H"r"%it& 3he ura a) the C"mm" La%J Islami! La% Re#"rm

a) the 3he"r$ "#

Legal ChageD& l,!,& part II&

Legal Pluralism in Malaysia

Documents

Transcript of Legal Pluralism in Malaysia